Dragon Lock
by moonlight.gabriel
Summary: Waking up on her 16th birthday, wallflower Momo never expected to be the descendant of Mulan, get thrown into her family's age-old quest and forced to attend an all-boys academy. Shouldn't be a problem. However, Toshiro Hitsugaya...THAT could be a problem
1. Horoscope

**Dragon Lock  
Genre:** Alternate Universe, Shojo, Romance, Drama, School Life, Gender Bender  
**Anime/Manga:** Bleach  
**Characters:** Momo Hinamori, Toshiro Hitsugaya  
**Summary:** When Momo Hinamori wakes up on the day of her sixteenth birthday, she finds herself pulled into the middle of her family's thousand year long struggle – and somehow, this throws her into the prestigious Saiitou High, an all-boys academy!

**Disclaimer:** Tite Kubo owns Bleach

**Warning:** Toshiro will not come into the story until later (around chapter 5), and the development of Histuhina will not be quick. For those of you who like it when the romance comes in thick and fast, I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere. However, since the Hitsuhina is slow and steady, there will be pleanty of fluffy moments to it's leadup :)

Anyway, introducing my spin-off of Mulan (FYI, my penname used to be _Snowy Peach Tsubasa_) with a whole new plot line, one hundred percent original.

I recommend viewing this in half-screen mode. You can change it by clicking the 1/2 button just above the chapter select bar.

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**Chapter 1 – Horoscope**

_Gemini (May 22 to June 21)  
__Over the next week change will be inevitable – a worthwhile experience for the comfort-seeking Gemini. This is your foundation for easing your hidden potentials out into your everyday life. Your near future is riddled with many obstacles. However, it is vital to avoid a total dependence on those surrounding you. Forge your own path to surmount these difficulties and become the person you envision._

"Hidden potentials? I wish."

Shoving another spoonful of cereal into her mouth, Momo flicked the page over, scanning the newspaper for worthwhile articles. The entire listing of the market stocks – with its diminutive font size that threatened readers with future eye problems – was ignored, as was the sporting section.

After reading an article about the grand opening of a five-start international restaurant in Tokyo (and being mildly interested in it), Momo pushed the morning paper away from her and finished off her breakfast. When she had washed and stored the bowl and spoon away, and was walking past the dining table, she took a glance at the newspaper. After a moment, she sighed, and began to ruffle through the black and white pages.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt," she mumbled, lifting out the week's horoscope, "to see if this is true."

Taking the stairs two at a time, she walked into her room, placed the page on her desk, closed the window that she had forgotten to close the night before and grabbed her schoolbag. A moment later, her shoes were on and she was shutting the front gate behind her.

Momo Hinamori – above-average intellect, below-average athleticism, rock bottom social skills. Shyness was her major disaster area and she was easily intimidated. However, she was polite and could maintain a decent – albeit generic – conversation going for a few exchanges, providing that:

1. You do not look mean/angry/frustrated/aggressive/aloof or any combination of the mentioned  
2. You start the conversation (the golden rule)  
3. You pester her enough so that she finally warms up to you and stops being shy, at least around you (but only one person has ever bothered to do that to date)

Actually, as was the universal case, another way to get Momo Hinamori to talk would be to tell her something so fascinating/unbelievable/insane/mad/mind-blowing/surreal (and again, in any combination) that a conversation would be inevitable.

But really, what were the chances of _that _happening?

As Momo waited by the bright yellow bus stop, she rummaged around her schoolbag until she felt the smooth, plastic cover of her history textbook. They were just finishing up the study of China's history in class. Turning to the marked page, Momo began to revise the last chapter, reaching the end just as the bus pulled up.

"_Hua Mulan had great fighting prowess, and could lead an army of thousands. Her body crossed through one hundred battles, never failing to stand in front, and compared to the most formidable of soldiers, she was still better."_

The bus hummed along the bustling morning roads, carrying a full load of city-bound passengers. The bus driver pressed his horn in agitation as a P-plater swerved in front of him, the bus screeched to a halt at stop twenty-five – nearly missing it _again_ – and Momo sat near the back, where the chances of being yelled at by the elderly for either giving up or not giving up her seat, was minimised.

A typical weekday morning.

"You're not off to a very good start," she muttered as she hopped off the bus at stop thirty-two, recalling the horoscope lying on her table.

Five minutes later and the front gates and white walls of Fujitou Junior High rose up in front of her, dominating her vision. Students were streaming in from all directions: walking from nearby bus stops, bicycling into the front courtyard and stumbling out of cars that needed to go because the light just turned green.

"Momo! Over here!"

Momo waved across to her closest friend as she jammed her thumb against the large, round stoplight button. Rangiku Matsumoto returned an energetic wave, her strawberry blond hair floating in the passing summer zephyr. When the neon green man became illuminated, Momo tore across the bitumen, a smile on her face.

"Hey, Rangiku! So, did you manage to solve that maths problem Igawa-sensei gave us?"

"Are you kidding, Momo?" Rangiku laughed as they walked through the front entrance. "I don't even understand whatever it is we're studying right now!"

"And you're not worried at all that we have a chapter test at the end of this week?"

"Not really," she replied while shrugging her shoulders. "I know I'm not a maths person, so I prefer to concentrate more on my strengths rather than worrying over what I can't, and don't want to, understand."

"Wow," Momo muttered, twisting around her combination locker. "I wish I could think like that. I'm always worrying. No wonder I'm so dull and unappealing."

"No, you aren't. But if you'd only open up more and stop being so shy, other people would know that too."

"That's never going to happen. I can't help but freeze up in front of other people, and then I end up either rambling like an idiot or giving only one-worded replies."

"You never know. One day something could happen and before you know it…" Rangiku stopped and shook her lock which refused to open. "Damn! What's my locker combo?"

"Twenty-three, six, seventeen," answered Momo without skipping a beat.

"Success!" exclaimed Rangiku a moment later. "Where would I be without you and your brain, Momo? I'm calling dibs on your brain, so remember me when you're writing your will!"

"Ah, well I'm not really that smart, you know?"

Rangiku rolled her eyes. "In what way?"

"I only get high grades because I study before the test, and then forget everything afterwards. That's not smarts; that's just remembering things in the short-term."

"Whatever you say, Momo, whatever you say."

The morning passed by like every other. A few boys received yard duty for arriving late during first period, an explosion during third period filled the chemistry room with a cloud of green smoke, and fourth period art turned into a paintball session. After lunch, Momo and Rangiku trudged back to their homeroom, where the last two periods were replaced with a compulsory study session. During this time, students were busy filling out applications for high school.

"Can you believe that we're almost finished with junior high?" Rangiku asked. "We only have another week left!"

"Yeah, I can't really believe it. It feels like yesterday was my first day."

Momo and Rangiku were sitting in the back corner, near the row of windows. Various application forms and pamphlets were scattered between the two desks they had pushed together. Momo signed and dated her last application and placed it on her pile of completed forms.

"Rangiku," Momo said, leaning over to get a better look. "You're only filling out one application form?"

"Yeah! This is the one I want to go to!"

"You're so confident! I filled out all these just in case, but…" Momo looked at the name of the high school Rangiku was applying for. "Yeah, I want to go to Kenshi High as well."

"I've heard that they've got a great tourism course on offer there! Too bad it's an all-girls school!" lamented Rangiku as an afterthought.

"Hey, it might not be as bad as you think, Matsumoto."

Momo and Rangiku turned to see a boy with bright green hair leaning against the desk adjacent to theirs. He grinned at them and Rangiku returned it.

"And what makes you say that, Kurudou-kun?"

"I'm applying for Saiitou High, the all-boys high school, and its sister school just so happens to be Kenshi High," he replied. "They hold all major events together and the two high schools are just one block away from each other."

"Excellent!"

"Hey, Katashi!" Another boy came over and caught Rangiku's green-haired friend in a headlock. "Are you seriously applying for Saiitou? Do you know how insane it is to get in there? Otou-san told me that unless you started grade school there, it's almost impossible to transfer in!"

"Thank for your support, Akio," replied Katashi, voice laced with sarcasm as he pushed the other boy away. "Hey, so where are you applying, Hinamori-san?"

"Um, well, I've filled out applications to Higashimizu, Kainami, Shizuha and Kenshi High…but, um, yeah…Kenshi High sounds like the best one."

"Yeah, seems so. Well, catch you guys later!"

Katashi and Akio walked away, heading for the large group of students occupying the front of the classroom. When they were out of earshot, Rangiku flicked Momo on the forehead.

"Hey, what was that for?"

"Speak up next time, Momo! I could barely hear you! And you don't have to be so formal with Kurudou-kun." Rangiku smiled. "I mean, he's been in our class for like what? Three years now?"

"I thought I was doing pretty well!" Momo defended indignantly, rubbing the dull throb on her forehead. "You know how long it takes me to open up to others."

"If I'm not living proof of that, then I don't know what is! Kidding!" she added upon seeing Momo's pout. Rangiku was shaking her head in amusement when a thought struck her. "Hey, it's your birthday tomorrow!"

"Yeah? I suppose it is."

"Come on, Momo, sound more excited! It's not just any birthday; it's your sixteenth!"

"I never got what was so special about it. I mean, it's not like I'm becoming an adult, or reaching the legal drinking age. It'll be just like every other birthday so far. There's nothing really special about it."

"Oh, help me, Kami-sama."

* * *

Momo walked into the room, a towel over her head of damp hair. All her schoolbooks were strewed across her desk. Even with the end of the school year in sight, her teachers were relentless in doling out last-minute assignments, tests and homework. Setting her classical playlist into shuffle, Momo resumed from where she had left off. By ten o'clock, her desk was neat and her schoolbag was packed. All that remained on the desk was the horoscope.

"If you're referring to my turning sixteen tomorrow, then I suppose that is inevitable," she commented after rereading the first sentence. "Why do I still have this piece of junk?"

She hesitated, looking from the clipping in her hand to the waste basket sitting just under her desk. After a moment of deliberation, she tucked her horoscope between two books in her folder caddy, thinking of only the last sentence as she shut off the lights and climbed into bed.

_Forge your own path to surmount these difficulties and become the person you envision._

* * *

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

"Hey, wake up!"

Momo groaned, feeling much too tired to heed that request. She ignored the voice and her alarm, which was blaring out high-pitched beeps. Her arms came up and wrapped themselves around her pillow as she buried her head into the soft fabric. She smacked her lips and sighed in comfort.

"Hello down there! Wake up already!"

"Five more minutes, Okaa-san," she muttered, but then her muscle stiffened as she felt the blanket being whipped away. "Alright, I'm getting up, Okaa-san!"

Groaning, Momo pushed herself up into a sitting position and began to rub the sleep from her eyes. She stretched her arms up and yawned, wishing she could go back to sleep.

"Okaa-san, what are you still doing here? Shouldn't you be at work by-"

Momo cut herself short, realising that her mother wouldn't be in this house during this time of the day, and neither would her father seeing as they both left for work in the early hours of the morning. And the voice telling her to wake up was rough and unfamiliar. She snapped her eyes open, frantically searching for the intruder.

And she found them.

Eleven of them.

Five inches tall.

Floating above her head.

* * *

Thank you very much for reading the first chapter! I hope my writing has improved somewhat over the course of this year :)


	2. Sweet Sixteen

I want to take this time to give a huge thank you to my reviewers: _kRyStAlt3aRz, Momo21, Cardboard, sapphire wind _and _Kazeek! _Thank you so much! I realise the first chapter was slow, but I don't want to rush things. Hopefully, all you readers will find things more interesting with the coming chapters! This one will explain a fair amount of...well, you'll see!

Best viewed in 1/2 screen mode! I love that feature (thank you FFnet!)!

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Chapter 2 – Sweet Sixteen

Momo blinked, wondering if she had gone delusional. Floating above her head were eleven something-a-rathers. If she had to describe them – and for the sake of her peace of mind, she felt she had to – she would call them human…maybe.

They certainly looked the part, but just about every single one of them had something – be it ears, horns or feathers – sprouting from their head. Instead of five-toed feet, Momo saw hooves, claws, paws or no legs at all! And everywhere in between there were scales, fur, tails and every other feature belonging to the animal kingdom.

"Hey, Kenny, doesn't she look like a goldfish?" said a small, pink-haired girl with rosy red rabbit ears extending out from her head.

Momo blanched and closed her hanging mouth, refusing to believe her imagination was talking to her. She placed a hand over her eyes and drew in a slow, deep breath.

"There's no way this is happening," she muttered, feeling her way towards the edge of the bed. "I must have overstudied last night or something. Y-yeah, that must be it!"

Ignoring the repeated shouts to grab her attention, Momo shook her head and walked towards her bedroom door, intending to head into the bathroom for a nice cleansing splash of water. Hopefully, that would drive away her hallucinations. But just as she wrapped her hand around the doorknob, something collided into the cheek and she spun around, shocked beyond words.

"Y-you…" she stuttered, gazing up at a heavyset man with an outlandish, spiked hair style and two small creamy horns. "You just hit me!"

"Damn right I did!" he replied in an arrogant tone. "You better smarten up, missy, because I will not be taken for as a figment of your imagination!"

"Calm down, Kenpachi," said a bespectacled aged man. "It's only natural for her to feel some form of shock. We are far from what human eyes are accustomed to seeing."

"You got that right," Momo mumbled. "So…who are you guys and what are you doing here?"

"Forgive us for causing you any unnecessary distress, Hinamori-sama. We are the animals of the zodiac, and your family guardians," replied the elderly man. "My name is Soken, the sheep, or ram if you prefer.

"This is Yumichika, the rat; Kenpachi, the ox; Soi Fon, the tiger; Yachiru, the rabbit; Nemu, the snake; Kukaku, the horse; Tetsuzaemon, the monkey; Nanao, the rooster; Sajin, the dog; and Shunsui, the pig," he continued, indicating each guardian as he said their name. "We are here to serve and guide you, another generation of the Hua family."

Momo's mouth was agape once again as she absorbed the words coming out of Soken's mouth. Then, without realising it, a flood of questions poured out.

"How come you're my family guardians? How do I even _have _guardians? Why am I another generation of the Hua family when my family name is Hinamori, and if you're the animals of the zodiac, then where is the dragon? And tell me why–"

"Woah, easy there, Hinamori-sama!" interrupted Kukaku. "Just because we're floaty and magical doesn't mean we can answer questions in half a second. Well," she said, looking around at the others, "who want to answer the first question?"

"Allow me, Kukaku," replied Soken. He turned towards Momo. "I think it would be best if I start from the beginning.

"Eons ago, back when the Earth was still new, God granted guardians to several families. The Hua family received us, the animals of the zodiac, as their family guardians. You, Hinamori-sama, are connected to the Hua bloodline through your mother. You are half-Chinese, are you not?"

"Well, yeah. Otou-san is Japanese while Okaa-san is Chinese, though I don't think Okaa-san's maiden name is Hua. Wait-a-minute…" Momo rubbed her temple, trying to grasp at something very familiar. "If Okaa-san is a member of the Hua family, would that mean that she's…that _I'm _related to…no, that's impossible!"

"If you are referring to Hua Mulan, then yes, you are related to her." Soken smiled. "In fact, you are her most direct descendant, which is why we have become your guardians."

"_What?_" screeched Momo, sandwiching her head between her hands. "I can't be related to her!"

Momo rushed over to her swivel chair, where her school bag laid. After fumbling with the zipper, she pulled out her large history textbook and began to flip through the pages in a frantic pace. When she reached the chapter on Hua Mulan, she skimmed through the first paragraph, just to check if she was correct. She turned the book so her guardians could see the text and pointed at the page.

"Look, it says here that historians aren't even sure if Mulan even existed! Many argue over the time period she lived in, and even her family name! Hence the name 'The _Legend _of Mulan'."

"Jeeze," grumbled Kenpachi. "Who are you going to believe, missy? Some dumb book written by a bunch of idiots, or your family guardians who have actually _guarded _the real Mulan?"

"I don't even know what to believe anymore…"

"Well you better keep believing, Peachii-sama," Yachiru said. "We're still playing twenty questions!"

Momo nodded, not saying a word, only waiting for her guardians to explain the rest of the situation to her. The other guardians looked at Soken. It was starting to seem that apart from the job of a guardian, he also had the task of explaining…well, pretty much everything to their new master. Untroubled, he complied.

"Everything started when God created mankind and sent them to live on Earth. As Satan wanted to rule over the Earth and heaven as well, therefore ruling all three domains of the universe, he created his own people and introduced the eight deadly sins to the Earth. In order to fight back against Satan, God created eight sets of guardians and granted them to eight families, each which epitomised a heavenly virtue.

"As each guardian is essentially a part of God's power, families who received guardians were sworn to secrecy so that Satan would never be able to use it to his advantage. For hundreds of years the secret was well guarded, until one day the unthinkable happened and Satan gained that knowledge.

"Shortly after, the Great War began. However, seeds of discord had already been sown and the guardian families began fighting amongst themselves, each believing another family had betrayed their oath of secrecy. With his enemies in such disarray, Satan was able to destroy a guardian family, and with it a part of God's power.

"In the end, God could only manage to seal Satan away in the deepest pits of Hell. With Satan sealed and his followers dead, the war ended, but not without leaving behind a history tainted with blood. And so God placed all remaining guardians into an eternal slumber, so that no one would be tempted to take his power and cause history to repeat itself."

Soken stopped, leaving Momo confused. She found his last words contradicting to his very being, and that of the rest of her so-called guardians, floating around in her room.

"O…kay…" she muttered, trying to make sense of it all before she had to ask. "If what you say is true and God put all you guys to sleep, then why are you here?"

"Forgive me, Hinamori-san. I merely assumed that you may have wanted some time to take in everything I've told you so far-"

"I could still use that time-"

"But if you insist, I will tell you the rest of our story-"

"Thanks for giving me a moment to adjust…" Momo mumbled under her breath.

"Once the Great War was over, Mulan was heading home when she was ambushed by a surviving follower of Satan. As he intended to kill her, he informed Mulan that he was not the only follower alive, but there was a whole society, kept hidden from God, and that how one day they would help Satan claim the three realms as his own. However, it was not he who killed Mulan, but rather things happened the other way around."

Soken paused.

"Afterwards, the next thing I remember is awakening from my slumber, only to find that my master was now the child of Mulan. I knew that God must be informed of the partisans of Satan residing on Earth, but without the other eleven guardians there was no possible way to do so. It was then that the task of gathering all twelve animals of the zodiac began.

"For ten generations, each descendant was successful in locating and awakening another family guardian. It seemed inevitable that for the eleventh generation, we would locate the last guardian, but as you can see, that was not the case. And we have remained unsuccessful for five generations to this date.

"So, to summarise everything up, we need your help, Hinamori-sama."

With so much new information to absorb, Momo took a minute so that her mind could make sense of it all. But everything seemed ludicrous, and instead of invoking comprehension, Soken's explanation created a large world of questions, doubts and confusion.

"This…doesn't make any sense at all!" she cried, shaking her head. "I'm just a plain, ordinary, about-to-be high school student with zero talent, while you're all guardians with magical powers! How can I possibly help you, especially seeing as the last five generations couldn't? I can't help, I'm sorry, but I can't."

"You _have _to help us, Hinamori-sama," pleaded Soken. "We can awaken the guardian from their slumber, but we do not have the ability to locate them. Only you have that power. Without the last guardian, we won't be able to contact God. We cannot tell anyone else about this because of our oath of secrecy. We need you."

"But…but how will I know? How will I know if I've found the last guardian?" whispered Momo.

"Do not worry. We will be there. We _are _your family guardians after all."

After a tense moment, Momo nodded,

"Alright then, I'll help, but don't get your hopes up," she mumbled as she left her room, wanting nothing more than to lose herself in a nice, hot shower.

"Well, I'll give her credit for not trying to exorcise us like that one guy seven generations ago," noted Kenpachi, sticking his head out the doorway, watching Momo teeter down the hallway. "But man that took forever! It's nearly half past."

"_What did you say?_" shrieked Momo.

She dashed back into the room, nearly bowling over Kenpachi, and seized her alarm clock. Sure enough, the slender minute hand was just a smidge to the right of the number six. She paled, the shower forgotten.

"I'm going to be late!"

* * *

Momo was huffing as she pushed herself onto the bus. With her usual leaving time at seven-forty, she had to forgo her daily morning routine. Breakfast sitting down, for example, was skipped. There was barely enough time to chug down a glass of milk and grab a piece of bread – not toast – before she had to jam her feet in her shoes and fly out the front door with a brush through her hair.

The bus driver muttered something along the lines of 'idiotic teenagers, always holding up the buses' before closing the door and taking off so suddenly that Momo was nearly thrown backwards. She grumbled and glared at the ticket validation machine as it swallowed her ticket, imagining the blue metal box to be the bus driver. It wasn't as if she had taken a stroll to the catch this bus!

Wobbling slightly, she made her way to a free double seat near the middle of the bus. It wasn't her ideal choice of seating, but it was better than sitting next to some random. She placed her bag on her lap, not having enough heart to set it on the unoccupied seat next to her so another commuter would not have the chance to sit next to her, and took out her phone.

"I still think you all should've stayed at home," she said, not brining the phone to her ear, but instead talking directly to the device as if it was a person.

"That's no good," replied Yumichika. "How could you even think about leaving someone as beautiful as me at home where no one would see me?"

"And how are you going to know if you found the dragon without us?" added Kukaku, her grin widening as she knew there would be little opportunity for rebuttal.

"That's true, but…"

"Okaa-san! Okaa-san!" said a little boy sitting near the front next to his mother. "Why is that girl talking to herself?"

"See?" Momo whispered fiercely at her phone, from which her guardians were dangling. "Now they all think I'm some crazy person talking to myself!"

"Suck it up, missy."

Momo stuffed her phone back into her skirt pocket, pulling the zip but letting her new phone charms dangle out. Earlier, as Momo headed out the front door in a mad dash, her guardians followed her. She had told them to stay in her room, because needless to say more than a few heads would turn if she walked around with eleven guardians floating around her.

Seconds later, they had turned themselves into small, plush phone charms, attaching themselves onto her phone without permission.

"Think of it as a birthday present!" Shunsui had said.

As Momo walked into the front courtyard of Fujitou Junior High (finishing her slice of bread just as she took the first step in), she was surprised with a violent hug from behind. Her nose met with a heady scent of cinnamon, not that she needed it to know who was behind her.

"Happy birthday, Momo!" squealed Rangiku. "Congratulations on reaching the legal underground drinking age!"

"What?" Momo laughed. "Since when was there something like that? And since when did you wait until you were sixteen to start drinking?"

"Touché, but when you're sixteen, you're allowed to get smashed!" Rangiku winked and released Momo. She held out a small, wrapped box. "Here, something to celebrate your coming of age."

"Thanks so much, Rangiku," replied Momo as she accepted the box. "You didn't have to though."

"Oh, just open it!"

When Momo lifted up the lid, she saw a beautiful silver butterfly pendant resting within a nest of white tissue paper. The pendant was just plain metal, with a small red jewel encrusted in the centre. When she picked it up, a long and delicate silver chain followed. The metal felt cool and smooth in her palm at first, but then she felt something rough.

Flipping the pendant over revealed a personal engraving: _Happy Sixteenth,__ from Rangiku_

"Thank you, Rangiku! I love it!"

Without missing a beat, Momo clasped the necklace around her neck. The pendant fell down to rest just between her breasts.

"Oh, the chain might be a little too long, but…" Quickly, Rangiku picked the pendant up and let it fall into Momo's shirt, just as the principal walked by, "at least you can hide it easily during school!"

As they walked down the corridor towards their homeroom, Momo took out her phone to check the time, and Rangiku's attention was instantly drawn to her new charms. She plucked the phone out of Momo's hands and looked at each one.

"They're so cute!" she commented. "They're the animals of the zodiac, right? I love the rabbit, but there's only eleven. Where's the dragon?"

"Oh, right! I have to tell you something!" Momo exclaimed as Rangiku handed her phone back. "I know it may sound strange, but it really did happen this morning. See, the thing is-"

"I am so beautiful, so beautiful that everyone loves me! That's right, not you, or you but me! Even Kami-sama falls to his knees at the sight of glorious, wonderful me!"

Momo choked mid-sentence, horrified to hear Yumichika singing out in a voice half of Japan could hear. Students stopped in the hallway, looking around for the source of the noise, some starting to laugh. Momo turned bright red when every pair of eyes landed on her, Rangiku included.

"Uh…is that your ringtone, Momo?"

"Y-yeah, must be. Erm, I, erh…have to take this call in private!" Momo managed to choke out before scampering away. "I'll see you in homeroom!"

Tearing up the stairs, Momo zigzagged her way upwards one flight after another. She burst through the rooftop door and slammed it behind her, pressing her back against it. When she looked around and saw that she was alone, she breathed a sigh of relief before glaring at her phone.

"Why did you just do that?" she said in an agitated voice. "I have never been so embarrassed in my entire life!"

Her eleven guardians reverted back to their original forms, appearing from small poufs of coloured smoke. Shunsui let out a small, amused laugh and floated down to Momo's shoulder, patting her back.

"Sorry about that, Hinamori-sama, but it had to be done," he said. "You were about to commit a huge taboo. By the way, did you make that up on the spot, Yumichika?"

"Of course I did," he replied, flicking back his violet hair. "There was nothing to it. I only had to say the truth, and really, how hard is that? Although, I hardly think anyone needs to be told as such, but it is simply _wonderful _to voice out my beauty every so often."

"Please, spare me," Momo bit out, unable to dispel the laughter she had heard echoing in the halls and the fingers pointing in her direction. "So what is this taboo?"

"Isn't it obvious, girl?" snapped Soi Fon. "You are not allowed to let anyone know about our existence!"

"But why not? Rangiku can keep a secret…well, maybe not other people's secrets," added Momo after she thought back on past incidents, "but she definitely keeps all of mine. And she's my best friend! I can't keep something like this from her!"

"You're going to have to," replied Nanao. "God made the chosen families swear to secrecy that they would never reveal their guardians to outsiders. Have you forgotten already what Soken said to you? We are part of God's powers and if someone on the wrong side found out, everything would repeat itself."

"But we aren't living in the past anymore," Momo protested. "And has anything even happened so far? The Earth doesn't seem like it's under demonic rule."

"Ah, now we're left with no other choice, really. I for one think this is pretty low, but this situation practically demands for this to be said," Shunsui began. "Think about it, Hinamori-chan. It's the twenty-first century. Who would actually believe you if you say that you had eleven guardians floating around you?"

"W-well," she stuttered, desperately trying to find a counterargument. "If they saw you, then they would believe me!"

"And what if we didn't appear? You would look like you've gone mentally instable!"

After having said that, Shunsui fell quiet, folding his arms into his sleeves and looking very smug. And with good reason too – he had won. Even Momo couldn't find anything to retort with. It was frustrating not being able to confide to Rangiku, but, well it wasn't the end of the world. Plus, seeing as how she herself took some time to get around the fact that she wasn't hallucinating, maybe it was for the best this way.

Momo took in a deep breath – she had probably experienced more stress in this one morning than she had in an entire day!

"Damn you, Rangiku, you were right after all. I guess your sixteenth birthday _isn't _like every other birthday."

* * *

The bell rang, signalling the end of fifth period and the start of lunch. Everyday there was a mad dash to the cafeteria – everyone wanted to be the first in line so they weren't stuck waiting in line for half of lunch. Momo and Rangiku dashed out of science class, down two flights of stairs and across the outdoor basketball courts.

"You grab the lunch, I'll save the table?" Rangiku asked as they pushed through the cafeteria doors.

"Sure. What do you want?"

"Three-cheese chicken schnitzel with mayonnaise and an apple and guava juice, please, thank you!"

Once at the end of the line, Momo leaned her head out and was relieved to see that she had gotten there relatively early today. She scanned the cafeteria to locate Rangiku, and found her sitting at a small table by the window, feet propped up on the adjacent chair so no one would take it. Rangiku caught her eye and waved.

After returning her wave, Momo contemplated on what to have for lunch. It was too hot for the pasta bake and she didn't particularly feel like sinking her teeth into sukiyaki or a stir-fry of any kind. She had a garden salad yesterday so maybe a-

"Ouch!"

Momo staggered back, having been pushed away by someone. She muttered a quick apology to the student behind her and looked up to see Aimi giving her a smug smile. Aimi Shintou was the most popular girl in Fujitou Junior High and one of "those" girls. She was beautiful – thin, flawless skin, wavy hair cascading down her back – and she knew it. She had a small group of devoted followers who worshipped the ground she walked on. Said group consisted of females _and _males.

A minor proportion of the school population – the ones with functioning brains – hated her. Not that she cared, as long as she got her way.

"Oops, uh, sor-ry!" Aimi giggled like a four-year-old. "I'm sure you don't mind if I take this spot. I didn't want to wait at the end of the line, and I'm like _starving!_"

Momo doubted that she even ate, but didn't say anything as she grudgingly allowed Aimi to cut ahead. She heard a _psst _coming from her pocket. She took out her phone and hunched over so she wouldn't be overheard talking to her guardians.

"Hey, Hinamori-sama, why'd you let her cut in front of you?" asked Kukaku. "You can't just let her walk all over you!"

"I don't want to cause a scene," Momo replied, glancing around her to make sure no one was looking in her direction. "It's alright…I guess. It's not like her whole group cut in front…"

"No, it's not okay!" Kukaku argued, her phone charm swinging violently from side to side. With a small _poof _she was back in her original form. "You need to be more assertive-"

"What are you doing?!"

Momo went to grab Kukaku, but she dodged her fingers and took shelter inside Momo's shirt before anyone noticed a small horse guardian floating around. Kukaku stuck her head out of the neck hold and looked up at Momo.

"So, like I said, you need to be more assertive."

"But that's one of the things I'm not!"

"No worries! That's easily fixed!"

Before Momo could ask what her guardian was up to, she felt an odd sensation filling up her insides. Her back straightened and she no longer felt angry that someone cut in front of her. Instead, she felt pumped for action, ready to show that snobbish girl who she was dealing with.

"Hey, Aimi, shove off!" Momo said in a loud, clear voice as she pushed Aimi out of the line. "Go wait at the end of the line like everyone else!"

"What?!" Aimi screeched in disbelief. No one has ever pushed her. Ever. "How dare you! Do you know who I am?"

"Wow, I always thought you were smarter than that, but if you need me to tell you your name then maybe you need to go back to preschool." Unfazed at Aimi's livid face, Momo shrugged and continued. "Sorry, did I use too many complicated words for you?"

A deadly silence invaded the room as Aimi stood with her mouth hanging open, flabbergasted at how easily Momo had trumped her. The same Momo who was known as the shyest girl in Fujitou Junior High; the one who never retaliated no matter how many times you shoved her around. Trying to salvage the remains of her reputation, Aimi gave Momo one last smouldering look, flipped her hair and marched out of the cafeteria.

"H-hey, wait up, Aimi!" a few of her friends called out as they followed her out.

Momo grinned as she watched the cafeteria doors swing shut, but then that odd sensation melted away. Her confidence gave way to sheer horror at what she just did. Momo raised a hand to her mouth, not believing a moment of it. She looked up and felt her face flush at the sight of every pair of eyes on her.

'_What just happened here?!'_

* * *

-laugh- Imagine that: little, shy Momo making a huge scene! :P On another note: any of you writers ever proofread your stories and find that in the haste of typing, you wrote Momo's name as Mom? Haha, well I certainly have, and it's a little amusing to read through! I caught one in this chapter xD


	3. Trial Run

Many thanks to my reviewers: _BLEACHISAWESOMEANDIMAWESOME XP, Cardboard, jazflower, sapphire wind, Momo21, Kazeek_ and _RyuuTsunei-Chibi._

And guess what? Internet's down at my place, and I have no idea when it's coming back up again, so review replies and updates may be later than usual, but I made the time to get myself to an internet source to update this fanfic for you guys!

And about Momo's guardians: well, I wouldn't say that they possess her exactly. It's not that she has no control over her actions when she calls upon one of them. In fact, she's in total control. Think of it as her guardians giving her a new personality or quality. If that makes any sense at all!

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* * *

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Chapter 3 – Trial Run

With everybody in the large room looking straight at her, Momo felt like she was the one who had been trumped. She could see the hateful faces of Aimi's fan-club glaring daggers into her, and the shocked ones of everybody else who had came to terms that her name was synonymous with 'quiet and shy'.

"I, er, urm…ex-excuse me!" she squeaked as she snapped her legs into action, unable to take the attention that came with being in the spotlight.

She bolted through the doors and down the hall until she found herself outside. Once she was in the small space between the back wall of the main building and a chain-link fence, she allowed herself to stop. The school basketball courts were just to her right, and Momo could hear Aimi's shrill voice.

"How dare she do that to me! No one's ever talked back like that to me before!"

"She's just jealous of your talents, and beautiful and _full _figure," cooed Sachiko, the equivalent of Aimi's shadow. "I mean, what does a middle-class person like her have anyway, right?"

"Yeah, well, duh! Like I didn't figure that out before! She's just lucky that it's almost the end of year. I'm like way too busy preparing for my annual trip to Singapore so I'll let her off just this once."

"Ohh, you're way too nice, Aimi!"

"I know, aren't I?"

Momo suppressed the urge to vomit her meagre breakfast and was thankful to hear their voices gradually becoming more distant, telling her they were walking away from where she was hidden. But what Aimi said did strike a certain chord within her. As far as she could remember, no one has ever fought back against Aimi. Rangiku may be the only exception, but even Aimi had enough brains to know that harassing Rangiku was a bad idea. Rangiku was the equivalent of a "white Aimi" – she was nice and bubbly, and everybody loved her.

Momo looked at her hands, wondering what possessed her to cause such a scene.

Of course, the answer came to her within a spilt second. She whipped out her phone and fished Kukaku out from her shirt. Sensing her need for explanations, her ten other guardians appeared before her.

"Not bad at all, Kukaku," Sajin mused.

"Well, I suppose it wasn't," Yumichika echoed in praise, "but I very much think that I would have done a much more splendid job!"

"What would Hinamori-sama have done under your influence?" questioned Nanao, arching up a cynical eyebrow. "Strut through the cafeteria?"

"Guys! Can you please tell me what happened back there?" Momo shrieked, slapping her palms against her face as the memories of recent events resurfaced. "What did you do to me?"

"Woah, calm down, Hinamori-sama." Kukaku grinned. "Don't get your tail twisted in a knot! You just looked like you needed a shove in the right direction, so I gave you it! Didn't it feel good to get back at that slime of a person?"

Momo declined to supply a reply and instead looked at Soken with an expression that plainly said "explain". Rubbing his hands together and looking a little sheepish, he offered her an apologetic smile.

"Forgive us for not properly disclosing our powers to you, Hinamori-sama. It is just a tradition that our wielders discover one of our powers on their own. I realise it may seem absurd, but traditions aren't always founded on stable grounds."

"Plus, it's way more amusing for us to see the reactions," added Kenpachi.

"So basically I'm here for your entertainment?" Momo commented dryly.

"I assure you that is not the case," replied Soken. "However, now I will tell you of our powers – powers which you are free to use at your discretion, whenever you feel you need them.

"The unique powers of the twelve animals of the zodiac enhance a certain aspect of yourself, your behaviour or your mood. Think of us as providing you with a small emotional push in a certain direction. Each of us can lead you down a different path. Being the ram, I can promote relaxation within your body and reduce stress. I would explain what the others can do, but seeing as how we generally like to explain our own unique powers-"

"Hey, Peachii-sama!" interrupted Yachiru, shoving Soken aside and proving his last few words correct. "You should know, rabbits are the best! Yachiru can help you go really fast! You'll be super duper in sports and battle! You'll beat all the competition!"

"How unsightly. Who in their right mind would want to run around like a headless chicken?" Yumichika flicked his hair and flashed Momo a smile. "I, Hinamori-sama, being a beautiful sleek and slender rat, perfectly groomed and amazing, can boost your charisma and self-confidence. With _moi _ever by your side, you'll be swamped with more adoring fans than you'll know what to do with!"

"Hey, missy, listen up because I have a feeling you'll be needing my powers the most," said Kenpachi. "I can make that wimpy body of yours take more than it can usually handle. I can't be blamed for any boredom though. Standing there while your opponent tires himself out is like watching paint dry."

"Alright, pay attention, because I'm not going to repeat myself. I can bestow courage and dispel fear, but you better not be one of those girls who shriek at every little creature with more than two legs" Soi Fon said, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"You could try and be a little nicer, Soi Fon," reprimanded Kukaku, who waggled a finger in the tiger's direction. "I'm surprised your fur isn't white with you being so cold all the time. Anyway, Hinamori-sama, you probably already figured it out for yourself, but I can make you more assertive. Don't you dare let anybody push you around from now on, got it?"

"I promote logical reasoning, Master…"

Momo blinked at Nemu, who up until now had not spoken a word. Nemu remained unaware of the silence that followed after her input and remained floating where she was, hands folded into her sleeves. Snapping herself back into reality, Momo waved her hands in front of her.

"No need to call me Master," she blurted out. "That's too formal for me."

"Very well, Hinamori-sama…"

"Ahem, shall we get back to the matter at hand?" Shunsui glided over in front of Momo and settled, legs crossed, in the air. "Hey there, Hinamori-sama. Being the intelligent creature that I am, I can provide you with mountains of insight. You shall be the new Thinker! With my prowess, it will be your bronze statue featured on T-shirts and mugs galore-"

"Will you stop driving the conversation off-topic?" snapped Nanao, having come over to slam a heavy-looking tome onto Shunsui's head.

"I was only trying to motivate her. Don't be mad, my sweet, dear Nanao-chan!"

Once Shunsui's head was tucked under Nanao's foot and he was knocked into a state of semi-consciousness, did she speak directly to Momo.

"Excuse me for that, Hinamori-sama. Being the rooster of the zodiac, I can improve your rate of retention. That is to say, I can help promote a better memory." Nano adjusted her glasses and turned her head to the side, addressing her fellow guardians. "Komamura, Iba, I believe it is your turn."

"Very well. It is a pleasure to meet you, Hinamori-sama," Komamura began. "I shall help you pay a closer attention to detail, be it with work or with the environment and people surrounding you."

"And I, Hinamori-sama," said Iba, "I can enhance your creativity and imagination."

After the explanations where completed, Momo nodded her head, finding that she still needed some time for everything to sink in. Even though she had experienced the effects her guardians could have on her, it was still difficult to grasp at the concept that they could have such an influence on her.

"I, uh…okay…thanks for the explanation. Anything else I should know about?"

Soken shook his head, and if Momo swore that she wasn't imagining things, he looked preoccupied as he did so.

"No, nothing else we can tell you now, but I have to warn you that it may not be beneficial to use our powers in every situation should you find that you need them."

"What? I don't understand," said Momo. "I thought you said that I'm free to use them whenever I feel I need them. And from what you've told me, none of your powers have any adverse effects on me…"

"I assure you, Hinamori-sama, you'll understand one day."

Before Momo could protest further, she heard the unmistakable voice of Rangiku calling out for her around the corner. She ushered her guardians back into their masquerade and hid them from view just as the busty blond turned into her hiding nook.

"So that's where you were!" exclaimed Rangiku as she quickened her footstep.

"H-hey, Rangiku." Momo let out a weak laugh and pushed her phone further into her pocket. "Um, so what did you need me for?"

"Are you kidding me? I want to congratulate you!" She patted Momo on the head. "Who would've thought that you of all people would be the first one to give that bitch a taste of her own medicine? That was brilliant, Momo!"

"Oh, don't remind me of that!" Momo moaned. "I don't even know what came over me; I'm so embarrassed!"

"Well, whatever came over you better be making another reservation soon. Way to leave a lasting impression on everybody!"

"But now all of Aimi's fans will be after my neck!"

Rangiku shrugged. "What can they do? There's barely a week left. You'll probably never see those brainless sheep again. Besides, they wouldn't have the guts to do anything to you while I'm around, neh?"

"But what if you're not around?"

"Then you'll just have to get that other you to come stand in until I can get there! Now stop arguing over everything I say and let's go," Rangiku said, grabbing Momo's hand and leading her out from the narrow space. "It's nearly the end of lunch and we have to go get changed – it's practical for PE today!"

* * *

Physical Education – it was the vice of Momo's timetable, namely the practical component of the compulsory subject. While she had few difficulties with the theory component, her mediocre athleticism coupled with her shy personality made the practical lessons nightmarish.

It wasn't that she was born without some form of hand-eye coordination or two left feet – she could play a fair game of badminton – but taking part in sports as a class, where everyone could see and judge what you were doing, did nothing but hinder the skills she possessed.

Then again, it wasn't like she was the next Michael Jordon in the makings. No, but she was better than what her classmate saw. Probably.

Today, as a part of the athletics component of the subject, the class was outside on the school oval, warming up in preparation for the high jump. As she was stretching her hamstrings, Momo glanced up at the imposing, bright blue mat and the thin yellow and white striped pole. The other students were busy chatting away to each other, looking carefree and making Momo wish the bell would just ring already.

"Alright, everybody, line up!" shouted Hirashima-sensei, one of Fujitou's PE teachers. "We'll be doing high jump today. The bar will start at one meter and after everyone's jumped, it'll be raised by another ten centimetres. Let's see who can clear the highest."

Before the students could actually jump, Hirashima-sensei instructed them on the proper high-jumping technique and had each student practise the scissor-kick at the seventy centimetre mark. Afterwards, he also demonstrated the alternative method of back-flipping over the bar, much to the delight of the male students.

"Okay, now once you've hit the bar twice at one stage, you'll have to sit out over there," said Hirashima-sensei, pointing over to the long bench where their bags were sitting. "Nakamori-san, you're up first!"

One meter looked pretty low. Each student before Momo cleared the bar without effort and much too quickly, it was her turn.

Momo started to run, curving her way towards the mat, but as she did so, her mind replayed how easily the others before her cleared the jump. By the time she was due to kick her feet over the bar, she made herself much too intimidated and found that her legs would not lift. She skidded to a halt in front of the high jump equipment.

"That's alright, Hinamori-san. I won't count that. Just go back and try again."

As Momo walked back to the starting position, she wished that Hirashima-sensei _did _count that. That would mean she would only have to embarrass herself once more instead of twice. Already, she could hear some of the others giggling, or otherwise getting impatient.

"You can do it, Momo!" she heard Rangiku shout.

Grateful that her friend was supporting her, but still embarrassed over her failure, Momo took off running for a second time. As she approached the bar and readied her jump, to her dismay she found that her embarrassment won over and her feet knocked against the bar, causing her to topple onto the mat.

"Just lift yourself a little higher and you'll get it," encouraged Hirashima-sensei.

"Um, excuse me, sensei, do you mind if I go have a drink first? I'm feeling a little lightheaded."

"That's fine, Hinamori-san. Just have your last shot after these three. Alright, your turn, Hantou-san!"

Momo strode over to the bench, trying to make it so it didn't seem like she was running away. Prolonging her second jump wouldn't do her any benefits in the long term, but she just wanted to get away for the moment. Dreading having to go back, she took her time finding her water bottle and taking a deep drink from it. As she zipped her bag closed, a thought hit her.

Remembering her eventful lunchtime, she re-opened her bag and took out her phone, wondering if her problems could really be solved _that _easily. She looked at her phone-charms, and deciding that there was no better time to test the powers the guardians claimed to possess, she unhooked Yachiru and tucked the rabbit into her pocket. She felt Yachiru materialise into her original form.

"Hey, Peachii-sama, what do you need Yachiru for?"

"You can make me better at sports, right? Well, I could sure use your powers right about now."

"Okie-dokey! Leave it to Yachiru!"

As Momo reached the starting line and was preparing for her final run, she felt a tingle go through her body. It spread to the tips of her fingers and toes. Suddenly, she felt lighter and more flexible. The mat and pole in the distance didn't look daunting anymore – in fact, the one meter cut-off looked pathetic.

Momo took off. As she ran she felt as if the wind was pushing her from behind, propelling her towards her goal. She closed the distance, and found her legs automatically kicking up and over the bar, leading her landing on the mat in a perfect, upright stance.

"…I did it," she whispered, looking in disbelief at the bar to the left of her. "I actually did it."

Before she noticed, a smile blossomed onto her face. Hirashima-sensei gave her a nod of approval while Rangiku let out a congratulatory whoop. Momo hopped off the mat and jogged back to the line, slapping a high-five into Rangiku's open palm.

"Alright, good work everybody! The bar's going up, so don't slack off with your jumps!"

One meter ten: easy

One meter twenty: no challenge

One meter thirty: child's play

By the time Hirashima-sensei lifted the bar to the one meter forty mark, almost half the class was sitting off to the side, unsuccessful in their jumps. Momo stood at the end of the line, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet, eager for her next turn. She could still feel Yachiru's power flowing through her veins. Her body has never felt so light, so supple. She felt like she could surmount anything this lesson threw at her.

She watched as Rangiku ran up to the mat, the bar set at one-fifty. Determination ablaze in her eyes, Rangiku pushed herself off the grass, arching her body back into a graceful curve. Her back came within a hair's breadth to the bar and she landed back first onto the mat.

"Close one there, Matsumoto-san. Next!"

Though the bar was set at head-level, Momo didn't expend much effort into clearing the new height. Once the bar was at the one meter sixty mark, only two students remained: her and Katashi.

Katashi tore down the field, trying to gain as much momentum as he could to help him clear the bar. His first attempt was unsuccessful: he wasn't close enough to the mat and fell down onto the bar. His second attempt was closer, but he waited a moment too long to lift his legs and they clacked against the bar as he flopped onto the mat.

Now it was only Momo. The bar was set above her head, and she could hear sceptical whispers behind her back. Normally, they would have been off-putting, but it wasn't by normal means that she got this far anyway. In her bestowed state, she couldn't concentrate on anything but clearing that bar.

No one could quite believe their eyes when they saw all one-hundred and fifty centimetres of Momo Hinamori clear the bar a well ten centimetres higher than her, even leaving a sizeable gap between her back and the bar. Hirashima-sensei had to shake his head to confirm that the petit girl in actuality _did _clear the bar.

"V-very good, Hinamori-san. Wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes," he said, and after glancing at the bar, he added, "Would you like to take another jump?"

At Momo's nod, he set the bar up another ten centimetres. At one hundred and seventy centimetres, the task seemed ludicrous. The school record was just shy of one hundred and sixty-six, and there was such a large gap between the bar and mat that Momo could have walked onto the mat without hitting her head.

With the full attention of her class, and several other classes watching from the windows and on the basketball courts, Momo took off. Her right foot slammed into the ground and thrust her into the sky. Curved like a rainbow, she glided over the bar in one fluid movement. When she picked herself up from the mat, she left half of Fujitou Junior High stunned. At that moment she could feel Yachiru's powers fading away. Her mind was no longer trained to the thought of high jumping, and even she could not help but look up to see if she really did clear that insane height.

"I-I…sensational! Th-this is…never before, this…" stammered Hirashima-sensei.

Momo laughed awkwardly, unsure of what to say and walked towards her classmates, all of whom where gaping at her. She slowed down her pace into tentative steps, unsure of what to do.

"H-how…you…the bar…?" Rangiku sputtered.

"Erm, it must have been a fluke," said Momo, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment. "I probably jumped right when the wind blew by. That's all…"

The air was still silent, but after the briefest of moments, Momo suddenly found herself swarmed by avid sports captains and members, all of whom were tugging at her arms, begging her to join their various clubs and district competitions.

"I-I-no…it's not what you think…t-this is a mistake!"

* * *

The sun was cresting the horizon when Momo pushed through the front gates and trudged up to the front door. After her PE lesson, she spent the rest of the afternoon avoiding those students hell-bent on signing her up on their sporting teams. Her thoughts of a relaxing shower dissipated when the doorknob she was reaching for began to rattle. Knowing what would happen next, she leapt back as the front door was blown open.

"I've been waiting all day for you to return! Happy birthday, sweetheart!"

"Okaa-san!" Momo gasped, struggling against her mother who had her constrained in a violent bear hug. "Okaa-san…can't…breathe…"

"Oh!" Her mother released her arms, looking sheepish as she watched her daughter double over to regain her breath. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but you know how excited mother gets. To think that my precious little girl is sixteen now! Where does time go?"

Without wasting a moment, Momo's mother pulled her into the house and into the living room. Chengmei "Mikan" Hinamori was Momo's energetic and effervescent mother, often acting more like her daughter's age than her daughter did herself. She was an architect who worked early hours so that she could be at home from the late afternoon, acting the part of a perfect housewife.

Well, trying to act the part.

"We have to talk, Momo," she said once the two of them sunk into the sofa. "And seeing as how your father isn't home yet, this is the prefect opportunity! So, have you gotten used to your guardians yet?"

"Well, no, not really," Momo replied. "I mean, I only just met them today and…wait a minute! How do you know about them, Okaa-san?"

"Hm? Didn't they give you an explanation? Not even Soken? I wonder if Kenpachi had something to do with it? He always wanted to be in the middle of trouble," Chengmei mused.

Right on cue, the colourful display of smoke materialised into thin air, and from it, the guardians.

"You got that right, Mikan," said Kenpachi. "That's where all the action is! What's the point of strolling through life without stirring up a few fights?"

"It's nice to see you again, Chengmei, however I can assure you that I did in fact explain our whole situation to Hinamori-sama," said Soken.

"Peachii-sama probably just forgot the whole thing, Meimei!" shouted Yachiru as she latched herself onto Chengmei's head. "Too bad you can't be with us anymore? Remember that time we were chased by those wolves?"

"How could I forget? Ah, back when I was young and impulsive!"

Momo remained still, unable to do anything as the shock of seeing her mother converse so light-heartedly with the guardians was still too great to overcome. Plus, she couldn't remember a time when her mother _didn't _act young and impulsive. Finally, she managed to shake herself out of her stupor and cleared her throat.

"Okaa-san, you…this," Momo stuttered, waving her arms to make up for lost words. "What's going on? I thought no one else was supposed to know about them!"

"Oh, come now, Momo, this is the family secret! Of course we're allowed to tell each other!"

"Then why didn't you tell me before I woke up this morning to find eleven floaty things above my head?"

"But it's quite unbelievable, isn't it?" Chengmei laughed. "You never would have believed me! Mother wasn't just going to pull you over and tell you that you were going to get eleven guardians and a mission on your sixteenth birthday!"

"…I guess that's true…" mumbled Momo.

"That's the spirit!" Chengmei nodded and clapped her hands. "Oh, now you can't let your father know about them, alright? Or anybody else beside this side of the family – this is a very secretive matter."

Momo nodded, all while wondering how her mother managed to keep this entire thing a secret, what with her personality and all.

"So…Okaa-san, how close were you to finding the dragon?" she asked.

"I never even felt its presence!" her mother replied in a tone that was all too cheery. "I climbed up mountains and hiked through jungles and deserts! I even went abroad to search – it's such a shame! But don't worry, sweetheart, I have faith that you'll find the dragon!"

"Okaa-san! I'm not adventurous like you!" Momo exclaimed, her mind swirling with images of her mother hacking through vines with a machete. "I just wanted to get into a good high school and maybe not get pulled into this whole thing!"

"But this is a great opportunity for you, Momo! You're always so quiet and reserved – this will give you a chance to step outside your comfort zone and experience everything the world has to offer! Go out and enjoy life!"

"How am I supposed to enjoy life when I have a guardian to look for?" Momo replied sceptically.

"We don't know where the dragon is. All you can do is to go to as many places as possible and expose yourself to everything. Well, everything except a man. That I'm forbidding you to do, for the moment anyway. Once you find the dragon and complete our family quest, you're free to give into hormones," said Chengmei, tipping a wink at Momo.

"O-okaa-san!" stuttered Momo, turning red at her mother's implication. "W-what are you…I-I mean-"

"Hm? Are you trying to tell me you've already got your eye on someone?"

"N-no! I'm not saying that at all, Okaa-san!" Momo could barely choke out her words, being strangled herself from embarrassment. "I don't want to talk anymore! I'm going to bathroom!"

"Nice one, Mikan," chuckled Kenpachi before Momo threw him into the wall.

"Oh, Momo, the kimono for next week's Tsukyomi Festival's on your bed. Be sure to try it on as soon as possible so I can make alterations if need be. Goodnight, sweetheart!"

"Goodnight, Okaa-san," Momo mumbled in return before shuffling off, her bright face buried in her arm.

Momo pushed her other clothes aside to make room for her new kimono. It was in a lovely deep shade of purple that looked almost black. Intricate swirls in faded blue marked the fabric at the sleeve and bottom hems. The obi was a contrasting pale yellow, reminiscent of moonlight.

Once she smoothed the fabric free from wrinkles, she tucked it away in her closet and shut the doors. The hair accessories to go with her kimono were lying on her table: beautiful silver trinkets with clusters of polished flowers and varying lengths of dangling charms.

Not quiet feeling tired yet, Momo lifted a book from her desk, causing a slip of paper to float out. She transferred the book under her arm and picked up the paper, realising that it was the horoscope from yesterday. After glancing at it, she scrunched it up in her fist and lobbed it into the trash can before plopping herself against the bed frame, poised to read.

She had turned sixteen today, discovered she had guardians – and twelve no less –, was thrown into her family's thousand year long quest, and realised she really had no say in the matter.

Considering all that, she figured that it was enough change to last a lifetime. She didn't think God would be so cruel as to shove her into another life-changing situation.

Right?


	4. Moonlight Revelation

Thank you so much to: _Cardboard, Momo21, BLEACHISAWESOMEANDIMAWESOME XP _and _Kazeek _for their reviews!

A lot of you must be wondering who the dragon is...right? Toshiro seems to be the pretty popular guess, but you'll find out who it is in this chapter!

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Chapter 4 – Moonlight Revelation

"Alright, so we'll meet at the front gates around seven?"

Momo nodded and waved as she and Rangiku parted ways. The school year ended yesterday and what better way to celebrate their completion of junior high than with a festival due to start tonight?

The Tsukitsuri – also known as the Lunar Festival – was held every year near the closing of spring and the beginning of summer. It was held in honour of the moon goddess, Tsukikonomono, who according to ancient legends was the entity that created the moon and its light to guide a lost village to a nearby land, where they found that the soil was fertile and the water was fresh. Thankful for her guidance, once a year they paid their respects to her. Over time the land became known as Japan, and the day of worship as Tsukitsuri.

The festival was always a grand and celebratory event, but this year was an exceptional case. Tonight fell with the date of a rare lunar eclipse that occurred but once every millennium. It was believed that during this time, Tsukikonomono descended from the Moon Palace to visit the Earth, ensuring that the moonlight would remain ever bright.

Momo was walking back from the town's largest Shinto shrine, having gotten up early to deliver her family's offering of lotus mochi and persimmons. Even though the morning had just broken, she still had to fight her way through the crowd at the shrine. She met with Rangiku in front of the statue of Tsukikonomono, where below was a long, lacquered redwood table on which offerings could be placed. Rangiku had bought some longans but admitted to sneaking a few for herself.

The day was spent helping her parents clean around the house, but by five o'clock, her mother ushered her up the stairs and into her room so that she could get dressed. After her door slammed, Momo heard her mother's excited footsteps padding down the stairs to urge her father into his own festival clothes.

"Hey, I know that you guys said I'll know when I "feel"," Momo said, letting her hair drop to finger quotation marks in the air, "the presence of the dragon, but can you at least tell me what it's like? Even a little?"

"Well, what do you think?" replied Kenpachi. "We aren't the ones who get that feeling, so it's not like we have any idea."

"Are you always this rude?" Momo huffed, glaring at his reflection in the mirror.

"Are you always this sensitive?" he mimicked.

Momo narrowed her eyes and resumed the task of styling her hair, making a grand point to ignore her obstinate ox guardian. A brilliant comeback sparked in her mind but she bit it back, feeling slightly uncomfortable. It was probably because they were her family guardians, but she never thought she could be capable of maintaining a steady conversation. It seemed to come more naturally when she talked with her guardians; it was as if she'd known them for a long, long time. The thought both excited and frightened her.

"We really do not have a clear idea, Hinamori-sama," said Sajin. "We can only speculate from what our previous masters have told us."

"I remember one saying that it felt like this ice-cold shiver running upwards from your toes…though that might have been because he was caught in a snowstorm when he found Iba," chuckled Shunsui, gazing fondly at the ceiling as he recalled that particular memory.

"I heard the feeling being described as a static shock passing through your body," Nanao contributed. "It would seem as if it is similar to having an epiphany – that sudden realisation."

"My dear, sweet Nanao-chan! Your overflowing intelligence leaves me at a loss for words!"

"Are you saying that you find it surprising that I am capable of intelligent thought?" shot Nanao, turning her back away from Shunsui, who was nursing a throbbing head from where her book landed. "I have never been so offended!"

" Wait, my dearest Nanao-chan! Don't be angry!"

Momo shook hear head at the antics of Shunsui, but declined to comment as she resumed pinning a strand of hair in place. It wasn't difficult, though the intricate work demanded a great deal of time and infinite patience. When Momo slid the last hair ornament in place, she rose from her chair to fetch her kimono.

"Okay, can everyone please go out for a minute?" she said, opening her door and pointing outside the hall. "I have to change."

"Hey, what about us girls?" asked Kukaku. "You don't have anything we haven't seen before."

"I don't care," Momo replied, trying to sound firm but starting to turn red all the same. "It's too weird changing with guardians floating around me!"

"Don't be shy! Maybe you need my help again?"

"Don't bother, Kukaku." Kenpachi smirked. "The reason's probably because the girl's flatter than a board-"

"EVERYBODY OUT!"

Red-faced, Momo plucked her guardians out of the air and threw them into the hallway in a flurry of scatty movements, slamming the door like she depended on it as a barrier. It took a few attempts to shove her arm into the sleeve; she was that agitated. Only after having donned her kimono and calmed herself down did she at last allow her guardians back into her room. Some sulked, some could care less, but in the end it was as if nothing happened.

Still, through Momo's eyes there was an awkwardness that surrounded her spontaneous actions. Really, if she didn't want to feel like this, she shouldn't have let embarrassment get the better of her anyway. She heaved a silent sigh.

"I hate putting makeup on," she mumbled, trying to make small talk and hoping beyond hope that she would receive a fluid answer. "It's always so confusing, but Okaa-san won't let me leave the house if I don't put even a little on."

"Let me help, Peachii-sama!" Yachiru bounced over to the table, which was dusted with a small portion of Chengmei's cosmetic supply. She latched herself onto the flask of neon-pink nail polish. "Yachiru is great with colours!"

"I strongly advise against taking her up on her offer, Hinamori-sama," Nanao interrupted, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Yachiru's concept of complimentary colours is a little…skewed. It would be wiser to let Yumichika assist you."

The words had barely left Nanao's mouth and already Yumichika was fussing over whether to use cherry or coral lip gloss. At his request, Momo closed her eyes. Seeing only a black stretch made her lose her sense of time. It felt like hours had passed when it was really only seconds.

"Hey, who is the dragon? I mean, what's his name?" she asked.

"Rather a she," replied Soken. "Her name is Rukia, and she has the ability to grant luck and good fortune."

"So my family's been missing some good luck for the past fifteen generations?" Momo raised an eyebrow at her new discovery. "That explains a lot. I mean, if we had some of that, it wouldn't take so long to find her."

"The notion of luck is really quite subjective, Hinamori-sama."

"Still, it would be nice to have some."

"And…done!" Yumichika dropped the brush he'd been using to apply some blush, and moved back to admire his creation. "How splendid! You nearly look half as breathtaking as me, if I do say so myself!"

Momo lifted her eyelids in a hesitant display of curiosity. What she saw in the mirror – far from the layered, artificial face she'd imagined – made her gasp with disbelief. Despite his exceedingly excessive narcissism, Momo had to admit that her rat guardian certainly knew about the elements that constituted beauty.

Her cheeks were dusted in a modest pink blush that blended so well with her complexion that it seemed she'd been blessed with naturally rosy glow. Her eyelids donned a colour deep enough to compliment her garment, while her lashed stretched out as if they were slender fingers inviting in a soft kiss. A bold red rested upon her lips – a coquette exuding her allure to snare the unwary into her spell.

"This is…this is really…me?"

Raising her fingers, Momo stretched them towards the mirror, watching her reflecting execute the exact movement. When their fingers met on the cool, reflective surface, Momo drew back and let her own dance across her face in soft steps of discovery.

"Thank you, Yumichika."

"Not a problem, Hinamori-sama." But before he ran the risk of sounding humble, Yumichika rested his chin in the crook of his thumb and index and added, "I simply cannot let talents so divine as mine to waste away, never to be fully appreciated."

"Momo, sweetheart, are you ready?" Chengmei's voice floated into the room, and a moment later she entered herself, coming to a brusque halt when she caught sight of her daughter.

"I suppose so," she replied, only realising after the statue-like state of her mother. She was almost afraid to ask. "Okaa-san…are you alright?"

The next thing Momo knew was that she was thrown into the strangling hold of her mother, and that she instinctively struggled to pull herself free.

"Kya! You look so adorable, _baobei*_! You're going to make mother cry!" Chengmei transferred her iron grip around Momo's wrist and towed her downstairs. "Shoji, darling, look how grown-up our little sweetheart looks!" (*Chinese for: treasured one)

Shoji Hinamori had been leaning against the entrance hall, fidgeting with the summer yukata Momo knew her mother had forced him into, when he looked up at the call of his wife. He extended a warm smile out to his daughter.

"You look wonderful, Momo."

Momo thanked her father and then found herself in the backseat of the conversation as Chengmei began to fuss about his attire. Giggling, Momo could see why her father did not harbour much affection for traditional Japanese clothing. Once Chengmei deemed him satisfactory, they slipped on their zoris and headed to the Shinto shrine.

* * *

"Hey, Momo!"

Momo waved and waited until Rangiku was close enough before mimicking her greeting. After assuring her parents that she would stay safe, Momo and Rangiku separated from them, running with barely contained excitement up the stone stairs and into the hub of the festivities.

"You're actually here on time, Rangiku," Momo teased, looking at her watch. "What happened?"

"I told my dad that I had to meet you here at six-thirty," Rangiku replied. "You know him. He always leaves the house at least twenty minutes after we're due to."

"Don't I know it," Momo muttered, remembering all the times she was stuck waiting for a late-arriving Rangiku. "So, where do you want to go first?"

Carried away by the electric ambiance of the matsuri, the two teenagers scampered down the trails shaped between the sea of booths. Everything enticed their senses. The kimonos and yukatas donned by the many festivalgoers were of every colour in the spectrum, from the red of a fiery phoenix to the black of a moonless night.

Heavenly scents of fresh-cooked food wafted through the air: tempura shrimp just fished from its liquid gold bath, crimped curls of ramen simmering in a spiced beef broth, toasted sesame seeds to be added to a serving of soy-drizzled soba.

The sounds of game stall vendors shouting out prizes to be won, the symphony of woks, steamers and chopsticks drumming against each other, and the chattering of excited people held their own against the battle for attention.

As the summer sun disappeared below the horizon, extinguishing the fiery glow of the sky, life was breathed into the lanterns strung between the booths. Their lambent light, made so by the translucent white side printed with auspicious characters, enticed fireflies to gravitate around them in lazy spirals. A golden haze splayed throughout the matsuri and the stars twinkled in the cloudless night.

Momo and Rangiku never lingered for long in one place, wanting to soak up as much of the festival experience as they could, like thirsty dogs lapping up a stream of water. They stood up at one of the many ramen booths to sample a small bowl each before scurrying off to purchase a portion of takoyaki, devouring the octopus-battered balls within seconds. After hesitating for a brief moment, a circle of okonomiyaki was also tucked away in their stomachs – they needed to maintain their energy levels if they planned to continue running around Tsukitsuri.

Photo after photo were taken: one right outside the Shinito shrine, one with the statue of Tsukikonomono, one with Rangiku beating a muscular man in a match of arm wrestle in which she emerged as the champion. They scooped for goldfish, watched a few round of sumo matches, tested their aim with darts and rings, and gazed longingly at the large stuffed bear another player had won. They laughed, giggled, shouted and pulled each other in opposite directions, losing themselves in pure enjoyment.

The night was well settled when they arrived in the central square. A large statue of Tsukikonomono stood in the very centre, her stone arms raised to cup the butter-coloured moon. Her face was set into a gentle demeanour – eyes lightly closed and a small, knowing smile – and the layers of ceremonial robes she donned were forever floating in a nonexistent breeze.

"There sure are a lot of people here," Rangiku commented, straining her neck to look above the heads.

"The eclipse is about to start any moment. It's not that surprising."

Rangiku blinked in surprise when her phone started to vibrate. She flipped it open and scanned over the message she'd just received, shaking her head in an amused exasperation. Her fingers tapped quickly against the padded buttons to compose a reply.

"Sorry, I have to duck out for a bit. Tashiko's lost around the city, as usual, so I told her I'd wait for her outside the front gates. Won't be long!"

Momo nodded and waved after her, turning back around only when Rangiku's back disappeared into the crowd. She had thought that she would be fine waiting by herself, but she found her eyes darting from place to place, unsure of what to do while waiting for the lunar eclipse to begin. Finally, she settled upon gazing up at the glowing orb, struck by its beauty and soothed by the warmth that seemed to radiate from it, as if it was the sun.

"Oh!" she gasped while her mind was in the midst of admiring its splendour.

She shifted back out through the crowds and ducked into a secluded space between some booths where she remained hidden but still able to have a clear view at the sky. She took out her phone and called upon her guardians.

"I thought you guys would like to see the lunar eclipse," she said as they appeared. "It's not something that happens every day after all."

Reactions ranged from Yachiru's energetic whoop of joy to Nemu's stoic nod, but she received their thanks as they settled upon her head, shoulders and crook of her arm to partake in the moon viewing. It wasn't long until the eclipse began, a dark shadow obscuring a sliver of the moon.

"It's so…beautiful," Momo muttered, mesmerised by the gradual consumption of the silvery orb.

Suddenly she gasped, feeling a jolt strike her through the chest. The calls of concern from her guardians sounded distant as her eyes lost focus and she was pulled into the arms of a strange sensation. It felt like there was a string attached to her chest, stretched taut as an unknown being pulled on it. She blinked, snapping out of her stupor, but still felt compelled by the direction of the pull and set off without hesitation.

"Hinamori-sama, what's going on?" Kukaku shouted as Momo weaved through the crowd.

"I…don't know," she gasped. "Something's pulling me this way. I…I can't stop…I don't want to stop. It's like…I can't lose it! I just can't!"

"The dragon," whispered Soken. "Hurry, Hinamori-sama! Keep an eye out for anything that looks significant or special. Guardians can be hidden in almost anything, but they are always in a place that has meaning."

"Okay."

She could feel each step bringing her closer to her lost guardian, and with each step she was given further motivation to move faster. She rounded a corner into a crowded path, sensing her guardian straight ahead. She couldn't see much above her as she pushed through the crowd, but her eyes never left the flash of blue that weaved tantalisingly through the sea of limbs. There was no other possibility – that was her target. It was moving at a leisurely pace; she could catch up with it!

She concentrated on nothing else. The crowd became denser, more unpredictable as she neared her goal, but she ploughed on undeterred. The blue flashed right before her eyes and she stretched out her arm, fingers stretched in a wide net, and grasped the sleeve of a yukata.

The sensation within her magnified to near uncontainable proportions, but her victory was short-lived. Before she had the chance to do anything more, she was knocked to the side and her grip upon the fabric was lost. She tumbled into the ground, wincing from the sudden impact. Around her she could hear the people chatter excitedly as the eclipse came to an end.

"Peachii-sama, are you okay?"

"Don't strain yourself, Hinamori-sama."

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Momo said between gasps. "I have to keep mov…ing…"

Momo stared into the ground, her eyes wide with realisation. There was no way it could be possible, not when it was so strong before that it threatened to consume her.

"Hinamori-sama, is everything alright?" asked Soken, his voice filled with concern.

"I…I…can't feel it…I can't feel the dragon anymore," she trembled. "I've lost it…"

She looked frantically around for the blue yukata, but it was all she could do not to be tossed around by the moving crowds. Everyone was moving away from the central square, eager to continue with the festivities. Too many people, too much movement and too many shades of blue for even the slightest chance at finding her guardian once more.

Feeling dejected, Momo decided that she may as well head home – she was in no mood to have a good time – when a glimmer caught her attention. Lying a few feet away from her was a small silver badge, triangular with rounded corners, like a shield. At the base of a half-moon wreath were two katanas, crossed close to their hilts, and in the middle of this coat of arms were the elegant curves of the letter S.

As soon as she picked it up, she felt it – the same feeling from before – only this time it was so faint that it could have easily been a whim of her imagination. A second later and she returned to normal, feeling nothing but the frustration and disappointment of having something slip between her fingers.

Giving the badge a last long and hard look, Momo closed her hand around it and pushed her way through the crowd. Even without the guardian of luck and good fortune, perhaps this could be her lucky break.

* * *

"Okay. Mm-hm, alright. Love you too."

The receiver dropped back into its dock and Momo flopped down onto the living room sofa. Her head tilted towards the television remote lying on the coffee table, trying to remember if there were any decent programmes broadcasting at the moment. With her limbs feeling like lead and her mind shouting protests against any movements, she surrendered and simply laid on the sofa, an arm over her eyes.

It didn't take long for Momo to find her parents after the Tsukitsuri two days ago – they were already home when she arrived. Likewise, finding a moment to confide in her mother the recent events that unfolded was quick and simple, for her father had gone to bed the moment he reached the mattress.

Instead of feeling despair at losing the trail of the Hua family's last slumbering guardian, Chengmei had been ecstatic that her daughter had felt its presence. This escalated when Momo showed her the small badge, and without further prompting, Chengmei took the small treasure into her hands and assured Momo that everything would be taken care of by Monday night.

And now, having just received a call from her mother asking her to stay put, Momo wondered exactly how her mother was going to accomplish that. Chengmei's voice could not conceal her excitement during their conversation, and Momo could not help but hope that she had found where the dragon slept. If her luck kept up, this would all be over before she went to bed tonight.

Oh God, she hoped that was the case!

It didn't take long before the sound of her mother's car pulling into the driveway reached her ears, and she was already sliding the chain as the car door slammed. It was a good thing too that Momo opened the door, because Chengmei entered the house with arms weighed down with bags.

"Okaa-san, what's all this for?" Momo asked incredulously, wondering if her mother was excited because she found a sale and not because she found a lead on the dragon.

"It's not for me. These," she said, bending over to pick up two plastic bags, "are for the kitchen. The box over there's the shoes your father took for repairs last week, and those are yours."

Chengmei flicked her head in the direction of the remaining bags. They were large, cream-coloured bags made from a stiff material resembling cardboard, with handles made of rope. Momo blinked. The bags themselves looked expensive and too elegant to have come out of the usual shops within the mall. She could only wonder about the contents as she placed the bags on one chair and sat herself in another.

Sliding the nearest bag over, Momo reached in and pulled out a midnight blue and white striped tie. It felt silky to the touch and Momo couldn't help but run it though her fingers a few times. Upon closer examination, she noticed the insignia on the badge was also printed near the bottom of the tie. Her eyebrow cocked up in surprise.

"The badge I found is the motif of a clothing company?"

Chengmei didn't respond with words; she only laughed as if she was telling Momo to keep looking. Soon both bags were emptied, their contents piled neatly on the dinner table: a handful of plain white dress shirts, a few pairs of midnight blue trousers, a matching colour jumper and blazer – all of which bore the same insignia somewhere on the fabric – and a pair of thick black leather shoes. There was also a plastic bag from a different shop and from it Momo pulled out what looked and felt like a ball of apple green fluff.

"Uhh…" Momo stared unintelligibly at the mass of fluff she was holding. "Okaa-san, what do I need all this for?"

"That's your uniform for high school, Momo. As of next year, you'll be a student at Saiitou High!"

"Okay…" Momo muttered, wondering why that name sounded so familiar and so foreboding at the same time. "I actually wanted to go to Kenshi High, but whatever I guess…"

Wait-a-minute…

'_Its sister school just so happens to be Kenshi High.'_

No, no, what did Katashi say before that?

'_I'm applying for Saiitou High…'_

Momo paled as she recalled the rest of that sentence.

'_the'_

There was no way her mother would ever-

'_all'_

Not in a million years did Momo think that her carefree, exuberant, hyperactive, spontaneous, irrational, impulsive, childish, _completely insane_ mother would-

'_boys high school.'_

A horrible wave of reality crashed into her and Momo realised that the green ball of fluff she was holding was in fact, a wig.

* * *

Yes, I know what you're all thinking: _jeeze, it's four chapters in and this person doesn't even have Toshiro in it yet! _But I promise the other half of the Hitsuhina equation will...erm...appear in the next chapter! Just bear with me a little longer, thank you!


	5. Unisex

Thank you to: _cool-girl027, hawkfrost54, Cardboard, PrettyJunkie _and _Kazeek_ for reviewing!

-jumps for joy- Guess who has her beloved internet back again! No more going down to the library to upload chapters! Though, I'm practically begging my modem not to crash and burn...again...for the fourth or fifth time. And guess who's finally in the story! I don't know how long it's been since I last updated, but this chapter's a biggie, so it evens out, right? XD And I must've change the summary a billion times for this story, but I think I'm satisfied with this one now :)

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**Chapter 5 – You (U) Need (Ni) Sex**

Words would not come as Momo continued to stare at the wig. Her mind was trying to bring order to the tangle of thoughts her mother's announcement had produced.

"Okaa-san…" Momo started, her voice scratchy as if it has been in disuse for years, "you're…you're not _serious, _are you?"

"Hm?" Chengmei blinked. "Does the colour not suit you, sweetheart? I thought the green would be a lovely match with your eyes, but if you prefer I can get a different colour."

"That's not the point!"

Momo broke off in a frustrated noise and felt like ripping her hair out because of her mother's flippant attitude. The chair scraped back and Momo waved the offending green wig in front of her mother's face, as if doing so would make her see reason.

"Okaa-san, you can't be serious! I'm a _girl! A girl!_" she emphasised, her voice reaching to an unnaturally high octave. "I'm sure there's going to be a few things people are going to notice about me!"

"Oh, but that's what the wig's for!" Chengmei replied, undeterred. "I've got it all covered, Momo. Once you've put on your disguise, no one will be able to tell that you're a girl! Trust me, sweetheart, I've seen plenty of beautiful young boys walking around. In fact, I'd say Yumichika falls quite nicely in that category! Mother isn't scatterbrained after all!"

"Really?" Momo mumbled under her breath, viewing this whole situation as a concoction of someone who was very much scatterbrained. Her chest heaved as she took in a deep breath and exhaled it as a sigh. "Okaa-san, you can't seriously be expecting me to do this. You know what I'm like."

"That's exactly why I thought this would be a great experience for you."

Momo twitched her head in surprise; her mother's voice never sounded so solemn. It made her believe that somewhere down her path of life her mother really did step over that boundary from adolescence and into adulthood. She remained silent, waiting to hear what her mother would say next.

"Listen, Momo. I know you feel shy and insecure with others, and I know that you've been told that you'll grow out of it once you're older, however I don't believe that one day you'll wake up and it'll "just happen"…but you want that, don't you?" she asked, even though they both knew the answer. "To do that, you're going to have to step outside of that bubble. Of course you're going to experience things you'd rather not, but life isn't either only bad things or only good things. There's a balance: yin and yang.

"You can't let fear dominate you for the rest of your life. I'm not saying that you'll be a whole new person overnight. You wish you could be more sociable, but how are you going to do that if you refuse to take the first step down that path? True, some days you may only walk a few steps, but a few is always more than none. If you really want it, you have to move towards it."

Chengmei's smile grew soft as she watched her daughter's eyes dart away from her gaze, trying to conceal the truth she had just hit. Her daughter had a kind smile, but it could be a dazzling beam; she had a mind full of knowledge and insight, but it could be moulded into fascinating conversations; and she had a hidden beauty that could be uncovered to reveal a magnificent radiance.

There was so much potential that her daughter had eased, pushed and finally coerced into the deepest recesses of her soul, fearing a reality fabricated through her mind. But always, Chengmei could catch a glimmer of yearning when her daughter caught sight of a group of friends walking down the street, a bite to the lips to repress a contribution to a conversation, or a covert peek a doting couple sharing a bowl of ice-cream at the local parlour.

She had hoped that her own extroverted personality would be imparted onto Momo so that her secret desires could be realised, so that she could become the person she wanted to be. She had been thrilled to meet Rangiku and her outgoing nature, hoping that the busty teen would propel her daughter closer towards her goal. However, even Rangiku's presence could not chase away convictions hardened over sixteen years.

Then Chengmei decided that the age old saying did hold true: if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

And that meant Momo would have to step out of her comfort zone and take herself into her own hands.

* * *

The wrought iron gates towered over Momo, dazzling her with their polished coats. A brick road two cars wide slid under the gates, shooting straight into the school grounds until it looped around a grand water feature and spread to form the grounds of a spacious, elegant square. Tall, narrow pine trees spaced evenly apart stood on both sides, like soldiers welcoming a great veteran. The influence of a long and scorching summer did not reach the lawns – they were a lush carpet of emerald green, perfect, pristine and dotted with small wildflowers.

At the far end of the front square Momo could see the main building of the prestigious Saiitou High. The sheer size of the three storey edifice – larger than three Fujitou Junior Highs combined – had her reeling back a step. Every window, every decorative statue, every smooth yellow stone of this structure radiated an aura of sophistication and culture. From end to end, the building was nearly as wide as the block. Anything behind it was blocked from view.

The school emblem was fixed in the direct centre of the front gates, and as Momo stared at the wide flows and turns of the grand 'S', she was just beginning to realise how quickly time had passed. It felt no more than yesterday that summer vacation began – half of it spent in a valiant, but vain, battle against her mother to reconsider her plan, and the other half trying to find the "inner male" within her, or so to speak.

"I don't know if I can do this…" she muttered while tugging on a lock of green hair that brushed her cheek. "Okaa-san would freak if I went back…if I _could _go back."

Saiitou High was located near Tokyo, a far cry from Momo's hometown on the southern island of Kyushu. In other words, she was stranded until she found her last remaining guardian.

Her hand slid from her cheek down to cover her hammering heart, still bewildered by the feel of her flat chest. Sheepishly, Momo did admit that even without the binding wrapping over her breasts, there was little difference, but if she was going to go undercover, she may as well go all the way.

With the handle of her suitcase in her left hand, and her registration papers clutched in her right against her chest, Momo stepped up until she could reach out and touch the iron bars. Taking a deep breath, she told herself everything would be alright and pushed firmly on the gates…

Only to find that they would not budge.

Bowing her head in embarrassment and hoping that her misjudgement remained unseen, she pulled against the gates, her face tinted red. Again, the gates remained unopened. Panic welled up as she frantically alternated between pushing and pulling, and when it was apparent that she would be barred entry, the panic doubled.

Momo bit the inside of her lips, not enjoying how her first day was playing out. But it was only a small setback, she assured herself, and a school of such a size would surely have multiple entry points. She was certain that if she walked around the perimeter, she would find a small side gate to enter.

But barely after her fingers left the coolness of the iron gates, the loud, impatient beep of a car horn blared behind her. She jumped and turned around, seeing a shiny black Mercedes-Benz rumbling behind her. The driver was tapping his gloved fingers against the wheel, indicating that he was waiting (rather impatiently) for her to kindly move out of the way.

A grating noise behind her caused Momo to turn around instead of clearing the driveway. The gates were opening and she wondered if this was a vehicle-only entry, when another loud beep shattered her thoughts and had her scrambling to the side. As the sleek body of the luxury car passed her, she saw the profile of its occupant. The tinted window was only half opened, so she could only see the person's white spiky hair and dark sunglasses.

The gates started to slide close as soon as the car passed, and Momo, deciding that she did not want to risk wandering around the entire block, slipped in before the gates came to a complete shut. However, if she didn't want to wander around the block, she was certain God wanted a little misfortune to find her either way, because a heavy wind flew in, picking up her registration form and sending it onto the back window of the retreating Mercedes-Benz.

"H-hey, wait!" she shouted, though she was sure the car's occupants did not hear. "Oh, this can't be happening! Please, wait!"

She rushed after the car in an awkward gait, but just when her efforts looked to be in vain, the car slid to a halt. Just as she caught up with it, the back door opened and the white-haired occupant stepped out. Momo slowed down, not expecting him to be so young.

He was dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a plain white dress shirt, hem untucked, buttons unbuttoned and sleeves rolled up to the elbows. A delicate silver chain glittered on his neck, but the pendant hanging from it was concealed under his black singlet. His ensemble was simple, but when combined with his downy white hair and dark sunglasses, he had an aloof aura that was decidedly very alluring and mysterious.

If only she could see the colour of his eyes!

For a moment, he looked in her direction, causing Momo to drop her eyes and tighten her grip around her suitcase handle. She couldn't tell if he was looking at her specifically, but presumably so as he turned to retrieve her errant sheet of paper. His strides were assured and he wordlessly offered her form. No sooner than Momo took it in her hands, he turned and disappeared back into the leather interior of his sleek car.

It occurred to Momo that, as she watched the car drive off, his actions had a whole no-nonsense quality about them. He wasted no time in returning her form to her – no pleasantries or looks of annoyance or amusement. He didn't even give the paper so much as a glance. He stuck her as the type of person who was extremely efficient and she wouldn't be surprised if he was able to work twice the speed compared to most others. There was something admirable there.

But it also made her feel strangely cold and insignificant.

* * *

By the time Momo reached the fountain and crossed the expansive courtyard, the previous Mercedes-Benz was nowhere to be seen. The courtyard was likewise deserted. Hauling her suitcase up the wide flight of white marble stairs, Momo made her way to the front entrance into the main building. The doors were already thrown back, allowing her to peer down the carpeted hall and up to the reception desk.

"It's more like a hotel than a school," she said as her foot sunk into the plush red carpet (with gold trimmings).

"Oh, it is absolutely exquisite!" gushed Yumichika. "Just look at that arched ceiling, those spotless white columns and these absolutely charming little pot plants. Genuine of course, I would expect nothing less."

"I would have to agree, Yumichika," added Shunsui, giving the hall a nod of approval. "I wouldn't mind doing a bit of exploring. A place this big is sure to have a generous supply of first-grade sake."

"If you guys even think about sneaking off," Momo muttered with a dangerous timbre, directing her voice to her backpack which her guardians resided, "I'll lock you up in my suitcase for the rest of the year."

"Don't be a bloody killjoy."

"Calm down, Kenpachi," intervened Soken. "It would be wise to remain unnoticed. We do not want to attract any unnecessary troubles."

Momo could feel her guardians scuffling around in her backpack, but thankfully none of them followed up on their urge to explore. The receptionist – a pretty woman in her early thirties with a bob of wavy brown hair – greeted her with a warm smile. According to the identification tag pinned on her blouse, her family name was Kuranari.

"Welcome to Saiitou High School. Are you a first year?" she inquired.

"Erm, yes, I'm a new student here," Momo replied. "Here's my registration form."

"Thank you. Just give me a second to enter in your information…" she trailed off, fingers darting around the keyboard as she worked. "Hinamori Hisoka, previously attended Fujitou Junior High, meaning that you must have been admitted through a program…Ah, it says you're studying here through an academic scholarship. It's little wonder; your results so far are very impressive, Hinamori-san."

"O-oh, thank you."

Momo was glad the receptionist was kind, but her words were already placing pressure on her to do well. Curse her mother! Chengmei never did feel the need to inform her on how she managed to find her a place in this high school. The opportunity to study under an academic scholarship had its drawbacks. If her grades didn't meet that high standard, she'd most likely be expelled.

"Just give me a second to print off all the necessary papers for you…You're not from around here, are you, Hinamori-san?" asked Kuranari-san as she waited for the printer to start.

"No," Momo said while shaking her head. "I'm from Kyushu…"

"Ah, I see. From which prefecture?"

"Miyazaki."

"The Ama-no-Iwato shrine is very beautiful…oh! Your papers are ready. Here you go, Hinamori-san. This one's your timetable for the first and second half of the year. You should have seven different classes with compulsory maths, science and physical education classes."

She gave a brief explanation of each new sheet of paper she handed over to Momo. After Momo received a briefing on the school times and rules, she thanked Kuranari-san and walked through the door that would take her to the dormitory.

The main building was quiet, allowing Momo the luxury of deciphering the campus map without having to constantly look up to avoid bumping into someone. If the front of the school didn't give off the impression of grandeur, the map certainly did! Beyond the massive main building was a host of other buildings ranging from the massive gymnasium to an extra building for the arts.

When she pushed through the glass French doors, she was relieved to see that her first day did not hinder her ability to follow directions. The large L shaped dormitory stood directly in her sight. White glazed pots housing young ferns flanked the stairs to the terrace, which ran around the building as far as she could see. Looking through a few windows, it was apparent that aside from sleeping quarters, the dormitory also had recreational facilities.

"Maybe this place won't be so bad after all," Momo said, eying a poufy, marshmallow-like lounge before clearing her wayward thoughts with one firm shake. "What am I saying? I'm stuck in an all-boys school! …I just hope I can get my own room…"

In a school as opulent as Saiitou, Momo could see no reason why she couldn't have her own room. She looked up, scanning the many balconies above before walking under the terrace and up to the front door. No, with so many rooms, it only made sense that they would each have their own. She didn't want to imagine how difficult it would be to have to skirt around a roommate…

"Eh?" Momo blinked at the glass doors, confused as to why they would not open. They had no handles and were uncanny in their likeness to supermarket doors, so they had to be automatic. Slightly deterred, Momo shuffled back while reminding herself that the door didn't register her because she was too short. Nothing another try wouldn't fix…with the exception of this particular door.

"Why do all the doors hate me?" she wailed. She slung her backpack off one shoulder and swivelled it around to her front. "Can't one of you help me here? Don't one of you guys have some kind of door-opening power?" she asked desperately, fully aware of how idiotic she must've sounded.

Before one of her guardians could respond, Momo heard a hearty chuckle from behind and looked around, anticipating the worst.

"Hey there, did you lose your card key or something?"

Even standing a few feet away, Momo could see that he towered over her by at least a foot. A pair of wide, sandy-coloured sunglasses was sitting on his crown. His long red hair was pulled up in a spiky ponytail and he had a very prominent widow's peak. Along with grungy bell-bottom jeans and a fringed leather vest worn over a bright yellow T-shirt (Momo wondered if this guy knew it was no longer the sixties), he was also wearing a large lopsided grin that could be easily perceived as arrogant.

"M-my…key card?" Momo repeated in a squeaky voice.

"You know, the small, rectangular, about-the-size-of-a-credit-card card that you slide into that machine there to get into the dormitories," redhead replied, fishing out the very card and sliding it into the black scanner that eluded Momo. The scanner beeped affirmative and the doors slid open. Redhead turned back around. "Did you follow all that, little guy?"

"I-I…I follow?"

She wasn't really sure how to respond and worse, she was turning redder by the second. Why wasn't the ground swallowing her up right now? Redhead blinked, looking bemused before breaking out into his rough laugh.

"He follows, he says! Man, you are a classic!" he chortled, thumping Momo on the back. Hard. "You new here, little guy? Must be if you didn't know how to get in through here! I'm Abarai, Abarai Renji."

"Hinamori Mo…euh, I mean, Hinamori Hisoka," stuttered Momo, relieved she caught herself before her real name slipped out.

"Hisoka, huh?" Renji cocked his head to the side. "Isn't that a girl's name?"

"N-no!" Momo blurted out frantically, afraid he might have started to catch onto her ruse. She shook her head, avoiding eye contact and mumbling to the ground. "I-I mean it's…unisex…"

"Hm? What did you say?"

"Unisex!"

"What? I need sex?"

Momo's voice couldn't even manage a stutter as she hit sky-high on the red-o-meter. This was one of the many, many reasons why she preferred to keep quiet and avoid conversations. Obviously, her reaction was highly amusing and right on the mark because Renji thumped her on the back again, overwhelmed by laughter at how well his teasing went.

"Don't die on me, Hinamori!

"I-I…didn't…imply…" she choked out.

"Right, well anyway, let's get inside before this door closes on us." Renji jabbed his thumb back and nodded in the direction of the lobby. When Momo didn't follow, he added, "What? Did you want to practise opening the door or something?"

"I'm coming!"

The doors slid to a silent close no sooner than when Momo crossed the threshold. They were now standing in a sunlit room dotted with glass coffee tables, LCD plasma TVs and sofas of all sizes. The floors were tiled in a nice creamy white colour, but most of it was covered in the same carpet found in the reception hall. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, though not lighted now, the dangling quartz glittered in the sunlight reflected off their facets.

"Wow," Momo breathed while Renji gave a low approving whistle.

"Nice! This place looks a whole lot better than the one back in middle school." He walked over to the nearest sofa, threw his tatty duffle bag against the far end and plopped himself onto the other. The cushion gave but didn't sink and Renji folded his arms behind his head, content. "Mhm, definitely could get used to this."

Momo rocked from foot to foot, unsure of what to do. She wanted to sit down too, talk a little to Renji and perhaps make a new friend before the school year started. It would do wonders for her if she knew somebody, but would Renji find it weird if she just sat next to him? She knew little about the opposite gender; only that they had the most ridiculous set of unspoken rules.

You don't cry. Ever. Especially not in public.

Food is considered a form of sport. If for any reason food fights cannot be commenced, it is expected that you compete with any neighbouring male to see who can shovel down the most grub.

If you sit down too close to each other or make skin contact that is not: a high-five, a thump of the back, a headlock or in sporting scenarios, the man hug (bumping chests and a hearty slap on the back), there is a high probability that you will be considered queer, possibly gay.

Point noted. Besides, she didn't want to sit there um-ing and ah-ing in an awkward silence.

The arch in the right wall revealed the recreational room she'd seen from the outside, but straight ahead she could see down into the hallway where there were a pair of elevators and a set of stairs. What better time to go find her room?

"Hey, where are you going?" Renji asked, lifting himself slightly off the armrest so he could see Momo over the back of the sofa.

"Erm…I'm going to find my room."

"Alright, what room are you in? It's printed on your key card."

"My room? Uh…right, my room." She shuffled through the papers, fingers working in a flurry of tangled movements. Finally, she found the envelope Kuranari-san had given her whilst saying that her assigned room and key card were enclosed (along with a set of dorm rules, but what sane male would read those?). The card reminded her of the school tie: midnight blue background, a thin white strip running down near the left edge and silver print.

"I'm in room three-oh-five."

"Three-oh-five?" Renji repeated before grinning. "Hey, same here. So you're the mysterious new roommate."

"R-R-Roommates?" Momo sputtered, turning visibly pale.

"Oh yeah, I keep forgetting you're new here," Renji said, ignorant of Momo's reaction. "The Saiitou schools have a pretty high attendance rate – even grade school is huge – so we all share rooms. I mean, it's cool and all because unless they majorly screw up the system or you're with someone you can't stand, you've got the same three other roommates from grade school to high–"

"T-T-Three…t-three _other _roommates?!" Momo's voice hit a pitch that only dogs would hear. "Y-You're saying…I mean, I have to…_three?!_"

"Hm? What's the big deal?" Renji raised an eyebrow. "You got something we don't have?"

"No!" Momo responded quickly.

"Great, then let's go check this place out!" Renji boosted himself off the sofa and slung his duffle bag over a shoulder. "I've heard that the menu at Saiitou High's cafeteria at least twice as long as the one in Saiitou Middle! Plus, they've got vending machines!"

Wonderful. Coke available twenty-four seven. All her problems were solved!

Momo groaned as she followed Renji under the arch, questioning for the umpteenth time that day why God was so cruel to her. However, as she and Renji made their way around all that the dormitory had to offer, it became harder and harder to cling onto her self-pity.

As Renji was leading, the cafeteria was the first checkbox to be ticked off. Their footsteps bounced off the walls of the expansive room. It was closed until the start of the school year, but the menu tacked up on the wall remained uncovered. Everything from French coq-au-vin to Malaysian laksa and American-style hotdogs appeared somewhere on the menu, eventually making even Momo salivate (Renji had succumbed long before). Students were spoilt for seating: inside, outside on the patio, single tables, communal benches, stairs that lead up to balcony seats. Off to the side she spotted the warm interior of a coffee bar.

They discovered a gaming room where tall arched windows took up most of the left wall. Though the heavy-looking velvet curtains were tied off to the side now, they could be drawn closed and – along with the lights muted – create the dusky atmosphere of pool clubs. Even Momo, who was terrible with the cue stick, felt she would consent to a few rounds here.

After winding their way back to the lobby, they explored the hallway leading off to the left, where they found the student centre. Like everything else, the steel shutter was drawn down to the counter with a "Closed until 24/08/10" sign taped on it.

"That's tomorrow," Momo commented while reading the sign.

"Mm-hm, just like how it was in middle school," Renji said. "The first day of Orientation is really slow. Everyone's getting settled and unpacking, sleeping off jetlag or getting here late, so there's not much point in the student centre being open today. By the way, here's where you go to join clubs, find jobs, get information about the city and stuff. You know, anything and everything really."

"Okay, thanks."

"Too bad they can't help with height problems!" he chuckled as he walked back out into the hallway. "There's another one who could definitely use some of that, ha!"

Not knowing what to say, Momo hesitantly laughed but Renji didn't comment on her lack of response. He was a pretty alright guy. Admittedly, he was a tad on the cocky side and had a one-track mind, but he didn't look down on her (in a figurative sense, not a literal one) and she took his constant joking as a form of comradeship. She envied his self-confidence and the ease at which he could interact with others. Though she only met him mere hours ago, she pegged him as a person who could care less about what others thought of him – a trait that reminded her of Rangiku.

"Well, here we are," Renji proclaimed. "Room three-oh-five, home sweet home. Want to do the honours of opening the door, little guy?"

"Oh, sure."

Renji stepped out to the side so Momo could slide her card into the scanner attached next to the doorknob. The green light flashed and she heard the click of a lock sliding open. Grasping the knob, she pushed the door open.

"Wow." The word tumbled out of Momo mouth unexpectedly and yet it didn't do the room justice. She had been expecting (and dreading) a room with four beds, a couple of closets and a bathroom – ones similar to hotel rooms – but this couldn't have been more different.

Her first sight wasn't of beds, but of a spacious living room fitted with a couch set, coffee table, varnished pieces of storage shelves and furniture and a flat-screen television mounted on the wall. A sliding glass door separated the living room from the balcony, and a little down the entrance hall and to the right, Momo could make out the beginnings of a kitchen.

"Hey, stop admiring the place and let me in already!"

"Sorry!"

Momo stumbled into the living room in her haste to clear the way for Renji. She had just enough time to see two hallways to her left and right before a new, unfamiliar voice floated out.

"Hey, Renji, is that you?"

A moment later a tall and skinny boy came out of the hall to the right. His light yellow hair was short at the back, tapering to the base of his neck, but it was left to grow in the front so that half of the left side of his face was hidden. He had a hard jaw line and an angular nose, but his eyes looked kind and warm.

"You got that right, Izuru," Renji replied, rounding the corner and tapping his fist against Izuru's. "How was the summer over there with your old man?"

"The usual, except now he's talking more than ever about me taking over the family business one day. Oh, and we paid a visit to Okaa-san," he said before glancing over to Momo. "Who's that?"

"That's Hinamori, the mysterious new roommate we didn't know about last year."

"Nice to meet you, Hinamori-san. My name's Kira Izuru." The blond smiled and Momo decided that she liked him and his polite demeanour.

"Hinamori Hisoka. Nice to meet you too, Kira-san," she replied in like.

"Yeah, yeah, that's nice and all," interrupted Renji in his impatient voice, "but let's get moving already. I want to put this bag down. Where're the rooms, Izuru?"

Izuru pointed behind him. "There's two rooms there and another two down there." He pointed to the hall across the living room. "I've already set myself up in one of the rooms here, so the one at the far end of the hall is taken, Renji."

"Fine, I'll take the other room in there."

Renji shoved passed Izuru and into the side hall, leaving Momo standing awkwardly. Izuru smiled and pointed back down the other hall.

"Feel free to take one of the rooms down there. Sorry, seems like all the rooms down this end are taken now."

"Oh no, that's alright."

The hallway was cosy and one end was taken up with a door leading to the balcony. The four other doors lining the inside were closed, leaving Momo guessing as to which held a room behind their wooden frames. Curiously overwhelmed her and she made her way through all four. The one near the glass door was a bedroom, the one to the left was a linen closet, followed by a bathroom and ending with the second bedroom directly opposite the other end. She took the bedroom on the far right.

"I suppose it's not so bad," she said after she locked the door securely behind her. "I'm boarding with three other guys, but at least we all have our own rooms."

"Hey, do we get our own rooms too?" Yachiru asked, shoving and elbowing her way past the other guardians to be the first out of the stuffy backpack. "I want my own room too, Peachii-sama!"

"You can't." Momo replied, setting down her bag and unlocking her suitcase. "There are only four rooms, and they're all going to be taken. Besides, what would you do with a gigantic room to yourself?"

"Yachiru would find a way! I want my own room!"

And her little rabbit guardian repeated this mantra over and over again, each time getting louder and louder until Momo lunged at her to stifle her voice. Yachiru dodged, laughing, and flew about the room evading capture.

"How do I stop her?" Momo turned to her remaining guardians. "If she doesn't stop, everybody's going to hear her!"

"Do you happen to have any sweets, Hinamori-sama?" Nanao inquired, unfazed by the rocketing Yachiru.

"Sweets? Well, yeah, I do, but I don't think this is the time to be topping up our sugar levels!"

Nanao scrunched up her nose, looking offended at the implication of her partaking in something as frivolous as sweets. "Not for us. For her." She jabbed a finger in Yachiru's general direction. "A simple bribe does the trick for a simple mind."

Wasting no time, Momo unzipped a small side pocket and plucked out a piece of hard candy from the half-eaten packet. As soon as she dangled it in the air, Yachiru latched herself onto the cellophane-wrapped sweet, sedated. Momo sank to the ground, feeling weary as the cumulative effects of the day's events caught up with her.

Stretching out and slumping against the door, Momo surveyed her room. It was quite spacious, with three wall white and the fourth a blue, to which the double bed was pressed up against. Directly adjacent to the inbuilt wardrobe was a large window flanked with white silk curtains. Just outside was a tree that was courteous enough not to block a nice view of the city and distant hills. Beechwood furniture completed the homey feel. It made her smile.

By the time her belongings transferred from her suitcase to the room and everything was neat and proper (she'd even transformed a spare shelf into a comfortable loft for her guardians), it was mid-afternoon. Instead of feeling fatigued, Momo was itching to take a look around campus. If what Renji said was true, then it might as well be now as the grounds would be near deserted.

"You guys can stay here, but please don't leave this room," she said. "I'm going to take a look around the place."

"Are you sure you do not require us, Hinamori-sama?" asked Soken. "What if you chance upon the location of the dragon?"

"I could come back to get you. Wherever she's hidden, I don't think it's going to move anytime s–" Momo stopped, only just remembering what happened the first time she felt the dragon. "Alright," she conceded, "whoever wants to come can, but remember to stay hidden."

"Alright! Road trip!" exclaimed Kukaku.

"Maybe I will get the chance to hunt for the vast supply of sake after all," enthused Shunui.

"I would like to see what this place has to offer me," said Yumichika, tossing back his hair. "I approve of what I've seen so far, but one must always be meticulous about the quality of ones lodgings. No need to worry, Hinamori-sama, I shall critique this place thoroughly for you!"

"I shall accompany you as well, Hinamori-sama," replied Soken, "even if it is only to keep an eye out for these three."

They took her up on her offer, jumping into the open pocket of her bag, while the rest made themselves comfortable in her room. It was probable that Yachiru would have joined them as well, were she not knocked out after her sugar rush. That was something Momo was very thankful for.

* * *

"Maybe I should've taken the right turn after all…"

Momo blinked in confusion at the room beyond the window, which was most definitely not the library. She lowered herself back down from her toes and took another look at the campus map. She rotated it ninety degrees, tilted her head and immediately realised she needed to be on the next level up.

"I hope they know what they're doing with orientation," she huffed. "Getting lost in a school is a little ridiculous!"

"It will just take a little time getting used to," Soken assured her.

That was doubtful…

Then again…

A smile broke out onto Momo's face when she spotted a small sign with a picture of a staircase and a little arrow pointing left, just where it should've been. She stuffed the map back into her bag and rounded the corner, only to collide into someone turning into her hallway.

"Oof! I-I'm sorr–"

_Ba-thump!_

Her apology cut off when she looked up at the other person, finding that his presence had effectively severed her vocal chords. Suddenly – and there was no reason for it – the only thing she could feel was a nameless sensation swelling inside her, heating her up…

_Ba-thump!_

And the only thing she could hear was the sound of her heart beating wildly in her ears.

_Ba-thump!_

_Ba-thump!_

_Ba-thump!_


	6. Follow the Leader

Well, first thing's first: thank you to _Kazeek, Cardboard, zoelol, NoirCiel _and _Sun-in-the-Sky _for sending me some lovely reviews!

So here I am, a month later with an update...Yeesh, I really didn't expect that, but my reason? I've started uni this year. Three weeks in and I've got a "school work to-do list" that's a mile long! Not looking forward to the coming weeks...and years. But anyway, that is the reason, and will be the reason for late updates. BUT, I will update! Just one at a time, so the next fanfic to be updated will be either my one-shot collection or _Toshiro's Journey _(me, being lazy -ahem- I mean uh, _time-poor, _shortened the title).

Thank you for waiting patiently!

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Follow-The-Leader**

_Ba-thump!_

"I'm very sorry. Are you alright?"

_Ba-thump!_

Her heart was still palpitating, pushing her heated blood through her veins and yet she was still frozen for some god-forsaken reason, probably looking like a fish with her mouth hanging open. So, no, she was not alright. Especially seeing as she could barely catch his concern due to that incessant beating resonating in her ears!

"I-I, um," Momo said unsuccessfully before clearing her throat. "Um, I-I mean, yes…yes, I'm fine."

The other person smiled and it acted as a gentle wave that washed over her and dimmed the beating of her heart into the background. He looked a few years older than her – in fact, he looked far too old to be a student, yet he didn't seem like a teacher either. Mousy wisps of hair fell to the frames of his glasses, looking as soft and gentle as the brown eyes behind the glass–

_Ba-thump!_

"That's good. It would be terrible if something happened before the school year has even begun," he replied. "If I may ask, you seem to be looking for something. May I offer my assistance?"

"O-oh, it's alright. I'm just going to the library."

"The library? That's not far from here at all." He turned and beckoned Momo with a wave of his hand. "Come, I'll show you the way. Getting used to the layout of this school is best done as early as possible. I daresay this is your first year at Saiitou?"

"Yes."

"As I thought."

Momo followed the brown-haired man around the corner and up two flights of stairs. As they walked through the sunlight-filled corridors he pointed out the main rooms and hallways, dropping titbits of advice along the way. Her chest still wrangled with the unknown feeling that had invaded when she collided into him, but amiable personality coupled with his tolerance of her one-worded replies and stutters had her smiling inside. She'd never known someone so kind.

"Well, here we are," he said, stopping in front of a pair of glass doors which slid open in his presence. "The library closes late every night, so you can take your time looking around."

"Thank you very much for your help."

Momo walked past him and through into the foyer, but was then interrupted by his voice.

"If I may ask, what is your name?"

"O-oh, my name? It's Hinamori Hisoka," Momo replied, already used to the idea of her alias. She whipped around and walked further into the library, leaving the man standing at the entrance and unaware of his eyes on her retreating back. When she disappeared from his sight, he turned, walking back the way he came.

"Hinamori…Hisoka. This should be very interesting."

* * *

"This Saiitou place isn't too shabby at all," commented Kukaku as she ripped off a piece of dorayaki. "They sure know how to provide all the perks. By the way, thanks for this, Hinamori-sama."

"I have to agree, Kukaku," replied Shunsui as he ignored the fluffy outer pancake, diving instead for the red-bean filling. "And with so much campus space, there's a good chance that we can stretch our legs instead of dangling off phones or being stuffed into bags."

"Well I'm sorry that you're not exactly what people are used to seeing," huffed Momo, giving her bag a little shake and smiling when she heard Shunsui yelp.

"And keep in mind that we don't know how many students will be present here," said Soken. "Everything may seem quiet and large now, but it could all change tomorrow when orientation starts."

"Why are sheep such killjoys?" asked Shunsui, shaking his head.

"In any case, I give this school my approval," said Yumichika, "but as for this filling…I have to say, the scent is overpoweringly sweet."

"Maybe because the dorayaki's about a big as you?" muttered Momo. "But that's just my opinion."

The elevator doors opened into the third floor hallway. Room three-oh-five was easy enough to find and Momo felt extremely satisfied that she did not get lost on the way here. She dug a hand in her pocket for her key card, but could not feel its glossy surface. Figuring she placed it in her bag, she slung it to the ground and kneeled down, unzipping the front pocket.

Five unzipped zips, one upturned bag and four shaken guardians later the key card was still nowhere to be found.

"I must have left it inside my room!" Momo moaned, smacking a palm on her forehead. "What is it with me and doors today? It's like they know I'm not meant to be here or something…which is completely stupid!"

"Why don't you try knocking on the door, Hinamori-sama?" suggested Soken. "Most likely, Abarai-san or Kira-san would be inside."

"That's true."

Momo rapped her knuckles against the door, calling out to whoever was inside. No movement could he heard on the other side of the door. The thought of loitering outside was not appealing, so she raised her hand to knock again when she heard a shuffle and the growing sound of footsteps. Moments later the door opened by a person who was most definitely not Renji or Izuru.

Standing between her and the boarding room was a surly white-haired boy. He looked younger than her, and at a first glance just as tall, but a second glance showed that his spiked up hair made up for a difference in height. Aquamarine irises shone through his narrowed eyes – it really was a very beautiful colour. However, not too beautiful were his crossed arms, heavy scowl and all too familiar clothing.

He was the Mercedes-Benz kid from this morning.

And apparently he didn't believe in good first impressions.

"Erm, I–"

"You've got the wrong room," he interrupted before Momo could even wonder at what she would say. Then he slammed the door shut.

What the?

Now unless she mixed up her fives and sixes, she just got shut out of her own room! The polished numbers nailed on the door were clearly a three, zero and five…and in that order! Goddammit, this was her room, but she couldn't bring herself to knock on the door again. What if that white-haired kid exploded on her? Or maybe there was some rule or code she wasn't aware of.

"Hey, Hinamori, what're you doing spacing out in front of the door? Don't tell me you forgot how to open it already!"

Momo turned to see Renji walking down the hall with Izuru trailing behind. She shook her head and spoke when they stopped in front of her.

"I forgot my card inside so I knocked and…erm…" Her eyes slid over to the closed door, hesitant on what to say next. "This white-haired boy said I had the wrong room…"

"Oh, that's just Toshiro," Renji replied. "He's probably just grumpy from his trip or something…then again, the kid always acts like he has a stick up his ass. Don't worry about it."

Leaning over, Renji swiped his own card through and the door clicked open. Over in the living room they could see soft spikes of white hair jutting past the sofa back. At their entry Toshiro shuffled, looked over the sofa and laid back down after seeing Renji and Izuru.

"What's got you in such a crappy mood, Toshiro?" Renji shouted from the doorway. "Tired from your little airplane ride?"

"Be quiet, Abarai," Toshiro replied.

"Whatever. I'll leave you to sleep off your holier-than-thou attitude in a second, but this," Renji paused and pushed Momo to the front, "is our new roommate, Hinamori Hisoka. He's got the other room on your side of the dorm. Well, I'll be leaving you be, Ouji-sama."

"Don't call me that," Toshiro snapped as he pushed himself off the sofa, disappearing into the right-hand doorway. "And don't bother me tonight."

"You really shouldn't push him like that, Renji," Izuru scolded.

"Ah, Ouji-sama can take it." Renji walked over to the plasma, turning it and a Wii consol. He tossed controllers to Izuru and Momo, the later of which nearly dropped hers. "You guys up for a little race? I've got every single kart and character on this file."

The starting screen of Mario Kart flashed up on the television. Izuru sat down on the sofa while Renji flopped down on the carpet, his back against the plush. Momo edged herself to the other side of the sofa and sat down with a straight back. A Grand Prix was started and they were in the middle of choosing their karts when Momo voiced out something that had been on her mind.

"Erm…is that guy, um…" Momo trailed off, unsure of how to address him seeing as all she knew was his given name.

"His name's Hitsugaya Toshiro," Izuru supplied.

"Is he really, erm, a prince?" she finished hesitantly.

"Nah, but that's what all the girls over at Kenshi call him: the snowstorm prince of Saiitou High." Renji chuckled and shook his head. "They're all delusional. The best they get from him is a one-worded reply, if that! Don't know why they go all crazy for him, but hey, at least I'm not the one being chased by his fan club!"

"He has a fan club?" Momo asked, incredulous.

"Unbelievable, isn't it?"

A change of music had Renji turning back to the screen, control raised and ready to race. The three of them whittled down the hours racing through all the Grand Prix courses with a few one-on-one races and team battles. One may have thought a studious person such as Momo would have never touched a game controller, let alone actually play a video game, but lo and behold, one would find a shiny Wii consol down in the Hinamori living room. For her, it was liberating – and a superb de-stresser – to be able to do something mindless after studying.

And unbeknownst to Renji, she not only had all the karts and characters, but she also gained a three star ranking in every single Grand Prix. He found out the hard way how dangerous it was to underestimate her.

"Dammit, Hinamori! Stop blocking my red shells!" Renji turned his wheel with an aggressive focus, directing his kart to drive through an item box…which sent his kart exploding into the air. "Argh! What the hell was _that _doing there?"

Momo laughed, losing herself in a familiar element and absorbing the charged atmosphere. "I can't believe you ran into that!"

"Renji's not the most observant of people," Izuru said. "Oh, look, my green shell hit somebody."

"Well aren't we just the lucky one, Izuru," grumbled Renji.

By the time they closed the consol, Momo accumulated a mountain of victories and it was dinnertime. They stretched out their sore limbs, grabbed some cash and made their way out. Before heading out the door, Momo stopped and looked behind her, wondering…

"Did you forget something, Hinamori-san?" Izuru asked, having looked back when the sound of the door closing didn't come.

"No…I was just wondering if I should, um…ask Hitsugaya-san if he would like to come?" she replied, already blanching of the prospect of having to ask such a grumpy person anything. "He might be hungry?"

"Probably not. He doesn't tend to eat much anyway, and he's likely to get very annoyed if we disrupted him tonight."

"Don't I know it," Momo muttered under her breath.

"What did you say?" asked Renji.

"Nothing!"

Renji laughed as they walked towards the elevators. "Toshiro's a decent guy once you get to know him. Yeah, he's grumpy and kind of hard to approach, and it's like the only facial expression he knows is a frown…oh, and he can be really uptight at times. I mean it wouldn't kill him to loosen up a little–"

"I think you've lost the point, Renji," interrupted Izuru. "Anyway, what Renji is trying to say is that Toshiro's more withdrawn than other, but that doesn't mean he's a bad person or anything."

"Right…"

It was pretty hard to change her negative opinion of the guy. Alright, she could admit that their first meeting didn't really shift her opinion of him out of the neutral zone, but what was she supposed to think after he slammed the door in her face? And then followed by the fact that he gave her zero acknowledgement as his roommate?

Momo heaved a frustrated sigh, hoping that the "snowstorm prince" would not be as cold as his name and manners implied.

* * *

The first day of orientation blew Momo away – literally. When she woke up the following day and followed Renji and Izuru outside, the sheer number of students had her reeling back in astonishment. She didn't think it was possible for a place as large as Saiitou to look so bustling and crowded. Volunteers weaved through the masses, distinctive by the bright green shirts they wore. They were busy attending to information booths and organising boisterous groups for campus, library and city tours.

Clutched in her hand was a timetable for the week with her preliminary information sessions highlighted in neon orange. They were sparse, peppered throughout the week, leaving Momo plenty of free time to fill at her whim. But mostly, she stuck around Renji and Izuru. They shared all her preliminary sessions and she enjoyed their company. Needless to say she didn't see much of Toshiro – no doubt he chose to remain within the confines of his room.

By the time Friday rolled around, Momo found that a friendship had formed between her and her two more sociable roommates – something she was thoroughly grateful for. They had just finished with their PE session, having received a list of required equipment and clothing needed for the year, as well as a list of scheduled field trips and camping excursions.

"Check this out: bike camp in second semester! Sweet!" Renji exclaimed as he looked eagerly at the rest of the planned year. "They've got the best year planned out for PE this year. I can't wait to go on all these camps!"

"They've scheduled the athletics day earlier this year," Izuru commented. "It's in a few months."

Momo groaned at Izuru's words. Already, unpleasant memories of previous athletics days were surfacing to dominate her mind. All those sprints, relay races and supposedly easy side events like tug-o-war and the three-legged race her teachers had cajoled, nagged and finally forced her into. The countless trips and tumbles, the burning embarrassment of being the last to cross the finish line, the time she'd nearly hit the judge with her shot put…she let out another groan.

"What's up, Hinamori?" Renji laughed and thumped the underside of his palm hard into her back. "Already thinking of calling in sick that day?"

"I'm seriously considering it…" she muttered.

"Hm, I'm just glad they're not asking us to purchase our own bikes for that camp, but still…" Izuru fell silent as his eyes travelled down the long list of sporting goods. "That's a fair amount of stuff the want us to have before semester starts. Oh, I've already got that…"

"It's not like you couldn't afford it anyway, Izuru. I mean, if anyone's scared by this list, why did they bother enrolling here in the first place? Tuition's so crazy high that only really rich people can afford to come to Saiitou," Renji said.

"I'm just saying."

Momo walked silently alongside them as the three walked through the front gates, contemplating what Renji had said…and subsequently driving her into a small internal panic. Her scholarship covered the full tuition fee for the three years of high school, provided that she maintained high grades. The pressure was insane…but it wasn't impossible…she would just have to apply herself rigorously.

However, what her tuition _didn't _cover was the compulsory material for her classes – and therein lay the problem. She took a deep breath and whipped out her book list, wincing at what her eyes skimmed over. It wasn't that her family had financial problems. Her parents generated an above-average income, but surely even without having to pay tuition, the plane tickets and uniform must have cost a small fortune. Telling herself that it was the sole decision of her mother to send her to Saiitou did little to alleviate her guilt. She felt like a burden.

And what of just plain old spending money? Chengmei had given her a credit card to cover all her school-related expenses, but Momo couldn't see herself using it on anything else, not when the thought of using it for its intended purpose already had her feeling culpable.

"Are you feeling alright, Hinamori-san? You look a little pale."

Momo jumped when Izuru's face was suddenly in her line of vision. He cocked his head when she didn't respond, causing Renji to stop and raise an eyebrow.

"No, no," she assured them frantically, waving her hands about, "just, um…thinking about things."

"Just don't get yourself killed crossing the road, you hear?" said Renji.

The morning streets of Tokyo were filled with commuters; the sidewalks were bustling and vehicles crawled through the roads, engines rattling and horns beeping. Sometime during her space out, Momo had travelled from Saiitou High into the heart of Tokyo. Though it was early, the city was alive and she was just starting to soak it all in when Renji turned and pushed open the door of the book store. As Momo entered, she berated herself for her lack of attention, but promised to take in the metropolis on their way back. Maybe it was the voice of a thousand thoughts, the interwoven scents of a multitude of foods or the glittering of pristine windows as they reflected off the sunlight that vivified this metropolis, but Miyazaki couldn't compare to Tokyo.

The store spanned over two levels and housed shelves that towered over Renji, the tallest of the trio. Large piles of textbooks, neatly arranged in a crisscrossing pattern, formed an impromptu wall which divided the main walkway. As she glanced at the hard covered Biology textbook, Momo could only wonder how many copies one store could possibly need.

Armed with their booklists, the trio wandered through the aisles, picking up their required books. By the time the last book was crossed off her list, Momo could not see over the pile in her hands.

"H-how," – she sucked in a breath as her arms trembled under the heavy weight – "How am I supposed to bring all these books back? I can barely walk!"

"That's fine," replied Izuru as he helped her side her pile onto the counter, having placed his down moments before. "Just show the clerk your ID card. Saiitou students not only get a discount, but they can also deliver the books to campus for us."

"Really?"

Momo smiled in relief. Receiving a discount and knowing that she didn't have to drag her books back to campus did wonders for her day. The clerk assured them that they would receive their items by tonight and thanked them for their patronage. A light wind greeted them as they exited, and somehow that made Momo see everything in a more positive light. She was ready to see Tokyo!

Now that she was paying attention, she discovered Tokyo was a place where wonders hid around every corner. On almost every street there was at least one space – just the size of a standard bedroom – that was packed with four or five photo machines. Patrons took the liberty of sticking one of their sticker photos on the walls, and it was only through the small gaps that one could tell they were originally washed white. There was a street dedicated entirely to Lolita fashion, with mannequins showing off their ruffled corsets, full-bodied skirts and rocking horse shoes.

Bright, vivacious advertisements were splayed overhead, while the twisting neon bars of smaller signs at eye-level were asleep, waiting to awaken once night had settled. A chorus of _pings _played in the air as people stepped in and out of convenience stores, picking up the morning paper and grabbing a breakfast on the run. Shop assistants were busying themselves preparing window displays, polishing silver, dusting off plastic models of food and wiping clean cameras and video recorders.

Even in the midst of technology and the rush of the modern world, there was still a piece of nature that could be found. They walked past the local park, where joggers were finishing off their last round before the sunlight could turn from pleasant to scorching. The flowers were still in full bloom, painting their surroundings in bold shades of red, violet and yellow.

The three were standing near an intersection, waiting for the lights to green so they could cross. Momo was standing behind Renji and Izuru, still turning her head to look around, albeit being harder to sightsee due to the people surrounding her. She was standing on her toes, trying to see over the shoulders of her roommates when a wonderful smell wafted through the air. It smelt delightfully of maple syrup and whipped butter, melting in the warmth of the day until their gooeyness combined in a pool of sweet gold.

Without thinking, Momo turned and followed the scent, yearning to find the source of such heaven. She didn't have to walk far, but as she drew closer the sweetness of the initial scent parted to reveal undertones of freshly baked delights and the intense perfume of cocoa. Above the wooden saloon doors, hulking block letters stretched across a board, naming the establishment _Pankissu Steakhouse. _Momo did a double take on the anomaly between the cutesy name and the Western theme, but if the smell was any indication, people came for the food rather than the consistency of external elements.

As she walked closer, dodging people left and right, a small sign posted on the window caught her eye: _Casual staff wanted. Application forms inside. _

That was it! If she could secure a part-time job, she wouldn't have to constantly rely on her parents for funding. She hoped it was a back-of-house position, but reason told her Pankissu Steakhouse was most likely looking for waiting staff. She shrank back at the thought, but, well…she'd manage somehow. So long it paid, a job was a job.

Through the saloon doors, she entered a world she found only in television screens. It was larger inside than the front portrayed – deeper than it was wide and with a small flight of stairs that lead to higher seating. Seats and tables accommodated for all groups of diners: for twos and fours, to private parlours with padded seating for six and tens. Just to her right was a bar with stools, where the bartender was shaking up a milkshake. Straight down she could see the corner of another work station, from which she could hear the sizzling of frypans. Sunlight turned orange as it filtered through the stained glass windows, bathing the entire restaurant in an ethereal post-dawn glow.

The bartender poured the frothy milk into a tall, scalloped glass and slid it down the wooden bar towards the customer before catching Momo's eyes.

"Hey there, hon. Just a seat for one, or are you expecting company?"

"No. I just wanted an application form."

"Hm? What did you say? I couldn't hear you."

"I-I just wanted an application form," Momo repeated a little louder, blushing red and convinced that she was shouting.

"Oh, is that all? Well here you go, hon." The dark-skinned bartender reached over and picked up a form, holding it out for Momo to collect. "No need to be so quiet. Believe me, if you come to work here, you'll have to be loud."

"Yoruichi," someone shouted from the back, "Order for table four: a large vanilla and a small chocolate malt, extra whipped cream!"

"Coming!" Yoruichi shouted back before waving to Momo. "See you around. Might be sooner than you think if you get the job here, neh?"

Momo nodded and walked back outside, slipping the form into her bag. She looked up and then realised with a sudden wave of horror that she had no idea where she was! How idiotic of her! She just walked off without telling Renji or Izuru, and now she was stuck in the middle of a foreign city with no map, no contact numbers and no bearings. She couldn't even hope to find her way back through familiar surroundings because she'd hardly paid attention on the way here!

Her heartbeat was steadily increasing and her mind was in a state of panic. The people walked by her without a second look, and frozen to the ground, she realised that the only option she had was to ask for directions. But who from? Every face she laid eyes upon, her mind made up excuses: those girls looked snotty, that man looked busy, that woman looked stern and there was no way she was approaching that gaggling group of high school boys!

Time was ticking and she couldn't afford to be paralysed in the middle of Tokyo. Yoruichi seemed like a nice person, though Momo had a feeling she might laugh at her – in a teasing manner of course, but… Still, it was better than asking a complete stranger. Momo turned back towards the Steakhouse, and at the same time, the saloon doors swung outwards, parting ways for a person she really didn't want to run into.

Toshiro looked as he always did, with his trademark scowl on his face as he walked out with his hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets. When he looked up and caught her eye, he stopped, examining her for a split second before moving forward again.

Momo bit her lips and looked at the ground, willing her legs to move. All she had to do was walk past him, that was it. He had no reason to say anything or lash out at her. None at all. _Just keep walking. Look at the ground, _she told herself, repeating those words until they became a mantra. However, when they passed each other…

"Follow me."

Momo couldn't help but snap her head up and look around at Toshiro's retreating head. Did he just…was it really? In a twist of the common saying, were her ears playing tricks with her? His words were barely above a mutter – much too soon after their departure they drifted into silence, so quick that she was left in doubt. Should she follow after him? What would she do if he really didn't say anything to her? Oh, the embarrassment! But his form was steadily being consumed by the crowd, and soon she would lose sight of him. It was either follow him or wander in circles.

She dove after him.

Luckily, Momo didn't lose him in the crowd – she could soon see him well enough, though she was vigilant in maintaining a measured distance from him. He led her up the main roads and past Tokyo tower, never faltering in his quick steps. On a few occasions where she thought she'd lost him, he would be waiting at a nearby corner, seemingly waiting for the lights to change but always moving off when she drew nearer.

Perhaps it was the constant anxiety from trying to shadow him or from expecting him to whip around to demand what she was doing, but their game of follow-the-leader dragged into eternity. Doubt was blossoming rapidly again and she was in the process of convincing herself that Toshiro really didn't say anything and was merely taking a wander when she turned the corner and was greeted by the polished gates of Saiitou High.

An involuntary smile of relief spread across her face. It felt like she was staring at the world's most breathtaking view. Toshiro was standing at the entrance, facing away from her. Maybe it was his intention all along to go back to the school, she thought as she walked toward the gates. But instead of walking into the school grounds, Toshiro continued down the street, crossed the road and walked back the way he came, leaving Momo gaping at his back.

_No. _She shook her head fiercely. _There's no way that he would go out of his way like that to help me. No way! That's the same person who slammed the door in your face! And what makes you so special anyway? _

…_But…why else would he do that?_

Blushing, she sent a word of thanks into the air, hoping the wind would know where to find him.

* * *

So...am I gonna get chewed out because lo-and-behold! It wasn't Toshiro who bumped into Momo in the hall and sent her heart beating in a flurry! I'm sure you all can guess who it was (brown hair, glasses...hmmm?), and feel free to chew me out! I hope nobody was expecting that, because I wanted to put in a little twist! (If you don't know who that person was, then don't worry, it shall be mentioned in chapter 8!) -laugh- However, I'm sure I can gain a few brownie points with that last scene? Haha, wasn't that manly of Toshio? Yes? No? -laugh- Well, oh well, either way!


	7. My Name? Let Me Get Back to You On That

It's been a while, I know, but I'm sure you'd rather read the next chapter than some author's babbling! Thank you to everyone who reviewed and/or placed this story on their alert/favourite list! Oh, and please do excuse (and point out) any mistakes I may have made in my French. It has been a while :)

* * *

**Chapter 7 – My Name? Let Me Get Back To You On That…**

The fresh scent of night filled the quiet room, invited in by the window left ajar. While her three other roommates and eleven tiny stowaways had drifted long ago into their dreamlands, Momo was staring at the ceiling, watching the shadows flick across the surface. She'd given up tossing and turning long ago, realising that her mind would not yield to her heavy eyes.

"Come back and fight…and fight like a man…"

Momo let out an exasperated smile – who knew Kenpachi was the type to sleep talk? He'd startled her the first time: it was a little after she'd turned the lights off when he started his proclamations at being the best fighter around. Then he started yelling like a madman at his imaginary opponent…someone called Nnoitora? What a strange name…

She'd wondered at how the rest of her guardians could still be soundly asleep, but then again, they had centuries to acclimatise – probably forced to learn how to sleep through it just so they could get some shuteye! His voice slowly faded away, leaving the room silent once more. Momo turned her head to the side, squinting through the harsh neon glare of her digital clock. One-thirty.

So maybe she had a really bad case of pre-first day nerves. Sleep wasn't coming and picking out shapes from the shadows was beginning to lose its novelty, so the covers were tossed aside and the desk light flicked on. Her textbooks – pristine, hard covered and still peppered with the earthy scent of new paper and cardboard boxes – sat near her elbow, beckoning her to open them. She sighed, rationality telling her she would learn nothing in the middle of the night…the little voice whispering she'd fail if she didn't.

The little voice won the battle; rationality won the war and Momo was left slouched over the table, head in her hands and irritated.

"Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?" she moaned, slumping onto the table and stretching out her arms…only to withdraw them a moment later when she felt something slice through her finger. "Paper cut! Ow, ow, ow!"

She flicked her hand vigorously, trying to shake off the pain like she would a leech. It was a shallow cut – too shallow, in fact, to even draw blood. Didn't change that fact that she could almost see her finger throbbing. She slid the offending paper over (if it was her timetable, she'd take it as a sign from god that this was all a huge mistake and that she should go home).

_Pankissu Steakhouse Job Application Form  
__112-3101 Tokyo, Chihana-ku, Nishiya 12-1-2_

"Ah…" Maybe this is what she'd forgotten to do. True, her eventful afternoon pushed this matter right out of her thoughts. She tried not to focus on the fact that it was because of this that she got lost in the first place. Something was telling her she'd get her much needed rest after this application was completed.

It didn't take long – the questions were basic and hardly any different in terms of the general information she filled out on high school applications. Yet, even after she signed and dated the form, there was still one question left unanswered.

_Given Name:_

It was a tug-o-war between: a) Hisoka – male, keeping in line with this whole "undercover" operation, avoiding an awkward conversation on laundry day by having to answer why, exactly, there was a frilly thing in her closet, or b) Momo – female, a momentary freedom from having to play dress-up…letting her hair down!

This dilemma was surreal – how often is it that someone looses sleep over filling out their name? She shook her head at this absurd situation. All joking aside, the debate was really about stability versus freedom.

If she was Hisoka, her chances of being caught out were minimised. She could head from school to work in her uniform without having to constantly worry about where she could change. Certainly, she wouldn't have to be furtive about laundry! She wouldn't have to worry about being targeted by some random (drunk) male and it could just be easier on the whole, not having to constantly change genders.

If she was Momo, she'd get to be…well, herself! She wouldn't have to worry about her wig falling off, or excuses for slender fingers and high voices. Already, she found it tiring being the opposite gender and having to act in a certain manner in order to avoid detection. Plus, unless she was really unlucky, the chances of being recognised as a girl was very slim out here in Tokyo, five-hundred and forty miles from her hometown in Miyazaki.

Ultimately, Momo Hinamori was very conservative – not really the not-looking-before-you-leap type like a certain Rangiku Matsumoto was. Of course, she would write 'Hisoka'. If she was already enrolled as Hisoka, it would be better to just do the job thoroughly. She didn't want to be caught; she didn't want to be sent back home without her last guardian, no matter how many times she'd lamented about being here.

There, it was decided.

She wrote her name, blinked, then shook her head at the paper before turning off the lights and falling soundly asleep. Guess life could be a little unpredictable.

_Given Name: Momo_

* * *

"What class do you have during third period on Thursdays?"

"Aw, no! I've got Kurotsuchi-sensei for mathematics again."

"Do you know who else is in fifth period art?"

Momo was pressed against the wall, hugging her bag against her chest as the masses walked by her left and right. It was the first day and the corridors were alive with the beating of footsteps and the chatter of everybody comparing timetables. As she stood there, listening to the sounds of jubilation from those fortunate to be in a class with all their friends, her stomach churned uncomfortably.

She hated this feeling that always came at the start of a new year – this feeling of isolation, knowing that everyone else in your class has someone they could sit next to. The evening before, she had a chance to compare her own timetable with those of Renji and Izuru. Legal studies she had with Renji, Izuru was in her maths class and the three of them had the same science line, but for the rest of her four subjects, she was left alone. As more and more students began to wait outside the classroom, she sank further into her niche.

"_Entrez."_

Momo looked up. A man was standing by the door, one hand holding a pile of books and other educational whatnots, the other gesturing for the students to go inside the classroom. There was this air of regality surrounding him, as if his place was on a throne in some monarchy, not inside a school (albeit a lavished one). The steep angle of his nose and the sharpness of his eyes, when combined with his pale austere face sent shivers up Momo's spine. It was hard to believe his one word made the entire corridor fall silent. She didn't dare meet his eyes as she walked into the room.

A few students were already seated; she caught a pair exchanging wry grimaces in the front row. She took a place near the back, the closest desk to the window. When the last student filed in, the teacher closed the door and took out a sheaf of paper.

"_Bonjour, toute la classe. Je m'appelle Monsieur Byakuya Kuchiki et je serai vous enseigner le français pour cette année.__"_ He paused his rapid stream of French to write his name on the whiteboard before placing a sheaf of papers on a student's desk, motioning for them to be passed around. "_Je suppose que vous savez déjà les élémentaires de français, donc nous avons commencer avec l'oral.__"_

The room was silent so Momo was certain everyone could hear her palpitating heart. Yes, she had studied French before, but no, she didn't expect the teacher to start speaking it full on during the first lesson. She had panicked and thus the only information she was able to glean was his name. As Kuchiki-sensei was about to speak once more, the door opened.

"_Je m'excuse d'être en retard, Monsieur. J'ai eu un peu de travaille qui était très important,__"_ excused Toshiro as he walked into the classroom.

He was excusing himself for being late because he had some other, more important work to do? On the first day? Momo wondered if Kuchiki-sensei would send him out, but he merely nodded towards the only empty desk in the room: the seat right in front of hers. Momo looked down at her desk, only looking back up once she heard his chair scraping in.

"As I was saying," Kuchiki-sensei recommenced, this time in plain English to the relief of many, "my name is Kuchiki Byakuya, but I expect you to refer to me as either _Monsieur _or _Monsieur Kuchiki. _I will be teaching this line for the rest of the year. The course outline is being passed around as I speak.

"As I hope you all are aware, this class is for those who have completed French beginners in middle school or the equivalent. I have planned this course on the assumption that you all have a firm hand on the basics. We will begin with a five-minute warm up conversation on basic introductions. Row one and row three, your partner is the person sitting behind you. Begin."

The uncomfortable squirm in her stomach magnified. It was bad enough that the class started with a small test, but even worse was who Kuchiki-sensei had to pair her up with. Momo peaked past her bangs as Toshiro turned around, looking apathetic. Little wonder – with his fluency she wondered why he was even in this class. They stared at each other, neither making the first move.

"_Bonjour," _Toshiro abruptly began. _"Je m'appelle Toshiro Hitsugaya. J'ai quinze ans et mon anniversaire, c'est le vingt décembre. Il y a trois personnes dans ma famille : mon père, ma mère et moi – je n'ai pas de frères ou de sœurs.__"_

Momo blinked, startled by the fact that he was only a few months younger than her. Six months to be exact, as his birthday was the twentieth of December, but still…And he had no siblings either. Just both his parents. Maybe that was why he seemed so unapproachable.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Toshiro cleared his throat – a discreet sound, but nevertheless one that was unmistaken in its meaning: _what are you waiting for? It's your turn. _Underneath the desk, Momo wringed her hands to stop them from shaking as she repeated the sentences she would say in her mind.

"_B-Bonjour. Je m'appelle…_um, _je m'appelle Mo…euh, H-Hisoka Hinamori. J'ai s-six ans…"_

Momo bit her mouth as soon as those words came out. Did she just say that she was six years old? One of Toshiro's eyebrows raised ever so slightly and she bowed her head to hide her heavy blush. Why did this always happen? She could say it just fine in her mind…Well, she could've said it just fine a second ago. Now, she'd have more luck trying to sing the French national anthem than finding a coherent thought.

"Help me," she whispered over to her bag, her plea masked from Toshiro's ears from the collection of disjointed conversations in the classroom.

"As you wish, Hinamori-sama."

In the blink of an eye, Soken was no longer dangling from her phone and a familiar tingling sensation was rushing through her veins. Her mind suddenly felt lighter, as if someone had taken a broom and swept away all gratuitous thoughts.

"_Désole, je vais recommencer,"_she began in a clear voice. _"Je m'appelle Hisoka Hinamori. J'ai seize ans et mon anniversaire, c'est le trois juin. Comme toi, il y a trios personnes dans ma famille: mon père, ma mère et moi."_

If Toshiro was surprised by her sudden change in composure, he certainly didn't let it show. Momo did a split second check of what she'd just said: Hinamori Hisoka; aged sixteen; birthday on the third of June; a family of three. Check!

A sharp clap sounded, diverting their attention back to the front. "Your five minutes are over,"

Casting a quick glance around the room revealed many relieved faces…only to be wiped clean off by Kuchiki-sensei's next words:

"Please take out a clean sheet of paper for a quick _examen de la vocabulaire__._"

Definitely wasn't lost in translation.

* * *

"Hey, Hinamori, wait up will ya?"

Momo turned around at the sound of the rough and vaguely familiar voice, trying to pin a name to it. As soon as she saw the spikes of orange coming towards her, she recognised him as one of Renji's (very loud) friends.

"Uh, hello, Kurosaki-san," she stumbled, unsure if she remembered his name correctly. Renji certainly introduced her to a lot of his friends today. It happened right after French class. She was waiting outside her mathematics' classroom when Renji came over and quite literally dragged her across to his classroom (he took application mathematics, she took advanced), and pushed her into a group of guys. The flurry of introductions and "gee, you're short" comments ensued.

"You left the cafeteria pretty fast. You some kind of school-lover or something?"

Unsure if that was a trick question, Momo gave him a quizzical glance and remained silent. He responded with a raised eyebrow, waiting expectantly for an answer.

"I thought I'd go by myself and uh…not bother anybody," she finished lamely. During lunch she found herself sitting with her roommates and everyone she'd been introduced to today; but while the rest were busy being normal, raucous teenage boys, she sat quietly in the corner, feeling like an unwanted tag-along. She thought it would be better if she didn't try to squeeze into their circle.

"What?" Ichigo's eyes narrowed and a pronounced scowl formed on his lips. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! If we thought you were a bother, we wouldn't have invited you to sit with us. Geeze, grow a backbone, will ya?"

"Ah…"

Momo ducked her head, wondering why he was suddenly yelling at her like that. She didn't think it was _that _horrible that she left a little early. Perhaps there was some unspoken rule she was ignorant to? Ichigo paled at her slumped posture.

"H-hey, wait a minute! Don't take that the wrong way, Hinamori! When I said "grow a backbone" it wasn't like I meant "grow a backbone or else I'm gonna beat you to a bloody pulp", you know? What I meant was…er, well it's kind of like…ARGH! Dammit all! This is completely stupid!"

Looking at the way Ichigo was flustering about, waving his arms in agitation at something his ego wouldn't let him say, Momo couldn't help but laugh. So that was it – he didn't come to chastise her, but rather to accompany her so she wouldn't be alone on her first day. And, in his own strange, rough way, he just told her she was accepted into the group.

"Thank you, Kurosaki-san."

Ichigo coughed, which Momo translated as a "you're welcome", before clearing his throat and marching down the hall. "C'mon, or we'll be late for class. And you can drop the "san". It's way too formal for me…and for anyone else for that matter. Keep it up and we're gonna be thinking you're a girl or something."

Momo's incoherent sputter was drowned out by heavy footsteps pounding in their direction. Moments later, Ichigo was trying to wrestle himself out of Renji's headlock.

"What's the big idea, sneaking off like that, huh?" he demanded. He contracted his arm even further, finding amusement in the bluish hue that was rising steadily up Ichigo's face.

"Get. Off. Me!" Ichigo said between breaths, finally managing to push Renji off on the last word. He massaged his neck, then butted heads with Renji. "What's the big idea, you idiot! I swear, I'm gonna kill you!"

"We're not even in class yet, and you two are at it again," Izuru said as he came to a stop beside Momo. "Can't you guys settle this after class?"

"You're on your own if you show up late," Toshiro said as he walked straight past them. "I'm not covering for you guys."

"When do you ever cover for us, Toshiro?" Ichigo yelled as he bounded after the snowy-haired boy, Renji hot on his heels and adding to the cacophony. "Yeah, you've got that right!"

"How does he cover for them?" Momo asked as she and Izuru followed at a slower, more normal pace.

"He just says that those two had some sort of business to do with his father." Izuru caught Momo's confused expression and added, "Toshiro's the only child and successor of Hitsugaya Ryuuji, the CEO of the successful Hitsugaya Group. You know, the one that owns most of the transportation networks in Japan, including Nippon Airways and the Shinkansens."

"What? Really?" They arrived outside one of the science rooms. Renji, Ichigo and Toshiro were standing near the door, bickering about something or a rather. Momo snuck a glance at Toshiro, finding it unbelievable that he was the heir to a giant corporate conglomerate. "Then why is he, uh…_here_. Doesn't seem like somewhere he'd be…even if this place is ridiculously high-classed," she added under her breath.

Izuru shrugged. "I don't really know. Toshiro's not really the talkative type. Sometimes he goes away on business trips and meetings, and so arrives late to classes. I think that once in grade school, Ichigo and Renji used him as a scapegoat to get out of a detention for being late. Said that their fathers had business with the Hitsugaya Group, or something those lines. Of course, the teacher couldn't really punish any of them with Toshiro's verification. Anyway, that's the story."

"Wow…" Momo took another glance towards Toshiro's direction, but this time he caught her staring. She averted her gaze, feeling the heat rise up her face. She could still feel his eyes on her. Thankfully, the teacher arrived, grabbing the student's attention. They filed through the door before scattering out like mice.

"Good afternoon, class. My name is Amagai Shusuke. Due to Enoko-sensei's retirement, I am now the new head of the science faculty. I specialise in chemistry, geology and astronomy; this does not mean, however, that this year's curriculum will be limited around those fields. We will also cover the basics of physics, biology and psychology. You will find the curriculum on your desks.

"As indicated, for the first semester we will be covering chemistry on Mondays, physics on Tuesdays and astronomy on Thursdays, and just to make things a little more interesting, I've organised for Thursday's classes to be held in the observatory at 9 p.m.-"

"Does that mean we don't have to show up for the morning class?" interrupted Renji.

"That is correct. Now, if no one else has any further questions…" Amagai-sensei paused while the students looked amongst themselves, and continued when no one spoke. "As I was saying, Thursday lessons will be held in the observatory, as practical experience for both you and a student teacher that will be joining us. This student is currently in his final year at Tokyo University completing a double degree in teaching and astronomy, and majoring in planetary science; but enough with this. I'll let him introduce himself."

Amagai-sensei beckoned towards the door, a movement that seemed superfluous as the small glass pane was frosted. Nonetheless, the door swung inwards on cue and the student teacher took a deft step inside before closing the door behind him. Heat began to rise up Momo's face and she could feel her heart quicken in its beat. It was him.

"Excuse me for being late, sensei." He didn't offer a reason for this lateness, but smiled instead, as if that was his reason. "I hope I am not disrupting anything."

"Not at all, not at all, Aizen." Amagai-sensei waved off Aizen's apology and gestured towards the students. "I was just introducing you to the class, but I daresay you would be able to introduce yourself much better than I could."

"Of course, sensei." Aizen gave a short, quick bow to Amagai-sensei and turned to face the class. "Good morning, everybody. My name is Aizen Sosuke and I will be teaching astronomy for the semester. Amagai-sensei will be overseeing the class, of course, but feel free to come see me with any questions you may have. I will be more than happy to help."

Momo watched as Aizen bowed to end his introduction. As he raised his head, he stole a glance across the room. Her breath caught when his eyes reached hers. It felt like an eternity that he looked at her, but in a blink the connection was broken. He sat down on the chair placed adjacent to the teacher's desk. Momo focused her gaze onto the formulas Amagai-sensei was writing on the board. She was determined not to look at Aizen, for fear that her heart would resume its erratic beat. Maybe if she did, she would have noticed him glancing at her.

And maybe she would have seen the flicker of interest in his eyes.


	8. Unpleasant Tumbles

Thank you to all those readers out there! As promised, this chapter's out within the week (more or less). Uni starts next week, so updates will be slower. Whether it'll be till my next break that I update...well, I'll try to avoid that!

* * *

**Chapter 8 – Unpleasant Tumbles**

"What a day."

Momo closed her room door and locked it for good measure, even though she was the only person in the whole apartment. Renji and Izuru left for dinner at a local pub – she'd declined their invitation – and Toshiro slipped off to heaven knows where soon as the final bell had rung. She let her bag fall to the ground beside her table before falling back into her bed, hands crossed over her forehead and legs dangling over the side. There was a loud _poof – _she was no longer alone.

"Thanks for your help today."

The first day of the school year was always the worst for Momo. Somehow she always managed to embarrass herself in some way. Last year the school administrator made an error on her timetable and she found herself in the wrong classroom. She had to excuse herself amid peals of laughter, her face a bright scarlet. This year though, this year was different. She couldn't help but smile at how her day went. She had a bumpy start, but it was no where near the debacle it would have been if not for her guardians.

"Look at you, always depending on us to bail you out," Kenpachi taunted.

"_Always?"_ Momo repeated, indignant. "This is the first time in _months _that I've asked for your help. And anyway, isn't it your job to help the family you're assigned to?"

Kenpachi shrugged. "I'm just saying."

"Why didn't you use me, Pechii-sama?" Yachiru clambered across Momo's face and settled on her crown. "Yachiru's a great help!"

"I don't have P.E. until tomorrow, and even then it's a theory lesson. Practicals are on Fridays," Momo replied. "Oh, and there's some leftover trail mix for you guys in my bag somewhere."

"We know. We ate it during that boring science class," Kukaku said.

"Except _someone _took the last walnut for himself," Soi Fon growled, glaring pointedly at Yumichika.

"Hm? Who else needed it more than me? Clearly the beneficial properties of that precious nut would completely go to waste on someone whose complexion is beyond salvageable." Yumichika wagged his finger at no one in particular. "No, no, no, it must serve its purpose in enhancing the beauty of those born beautiful. Of course, at time I do not feel like eating but-"

"Die, vermin!"

Momo ignored the commotion above her. Rather, she was too preoccupied to care. Her heart was racing again as she though back to science class and in particular, the new student teacher. It was just like the first time she had met, or more accurately, bumped into Aizen-sensei in the hall when she first arrived at Saiitou. She thought of his warm eyes and his kindness in helping her. Her heart was beating a similar rhythm that day as well. She placed a hand over her chest, wondering why her pulse quickened every time she saw or thought of him. This feeling was alien.

Momo moved her arms to cover her eyes, feeling too tired to attempt to figure out the strange happenings of her own body. Fortunately, she did not have any homework, and the bed was so comfortable. Unfortunately, her phone blared to life a moment later. The sudden sound of her ringtone jolted her from the mattress. She fumbled with the zip on her bag.

"H-Hello?" she said into the receiver, a little breathless from her frenzy.

"_Hello. Is this Hinamori Momo?" _The voice on the other end was deep and smooth, but it also carried a subtle astute tone that convinced Momo that the person – whoever he was – had a knowing smile on his face.

"Y-yes, this is her," she gulped. She didn't recognise the voice and was expecting the worse. What if this was the headmaster calling her to say that he knew of her trickery? Was he going to expose her, or was this blackmail?

"_Excellent! My name is Urahara Kisuke, the owner of Pankissu Steakhouse. Just calling to see if you are available for an interview this afternoon? I know it's on short notice, but your resume looks very promising, and we're in urgent need of staff."_

"O-oh, yes, yes I'm available," Momo replied, relief flooding her. In fact, she was feeling too relieved to question whether she'd actually written anything of interest on her resume.

"_Wonderful! Drop by around four-thirty; I have a feeling you're just what we've been looking for. Have a nice day!" _Urahara finished with a flourish before breaking the connection.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Momo snapped her phone shut and glanced up at the clock. The slender minute hand just slid to twelve; she had a scant thirty minutes to revert back to Momo Hinamori and get herself to a place she'd only visited once before. As she juggled between deciphering a map held in one hand and reaching into her wardrobe with her other, she berated herself for not organising a later time.

_Oh well, nothing I can do about it now._

She thanked her lucky stars that she brought along some articles of clothing that were more feminine. Nothing too over the top, but at least she had a nice blouse and black pants to attend the interview in. She shoved them pell-mell into her bag, realised a split second later how wrinkled her blouse would be, then shoved in a light cardigan so she would have something to cover them.

"Coming?" she asked her guardians, waving her phone in the air as she struggled to put on her shoes.

With her phone a great deal heavier, Momo dashed out the door.

* * *

Momo glanced at her watch and smoothed down her blouse for the umpteenth time. The steakhouse was only a few blocks away from Saiitou, making her wonder how she ever became lost. She stood outside, nerves running high, her stomach full of butterflies. It was four-thirty.

"Okay, calm down, Momo. You can do this," she told herself before sucking in a breath and pushing through the saloon doors.

For a late Monday afternoon, the steakhouse was bringing in some good business. The air was alive with chatter, mostly from groups of teenagers having had survived the first day of school, but there were also a few older couples and businessmen scattered in between.

"Can I help you there, hon?"

Momo looked over to see Yoruichi standing only a few feet away, a wide grin on her face. Her bright yellow eyes twinkled as they caught the sunlight. Suddenly, Momo couldn't help but be reminded of a cat. She shook her head.

"I'm just here for an interview with Urahara-san."

"Oh!" Yoruichi's eyes lit up with recognition. "So you're Hinamori Momo. Wow, isn't this strange! Feels like we've met before."

"R-Really?" Momo replied hesitantly. She wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"In any case, wait here for a 'sec, alright? I have to go find the boss."

She sauntered off, leaving Momo to press her back against the wooden walls in an attempt to stay out of the way as much as possible. The place was pleasantly warm – heated, no doubt, by a combination of the sunlight and the warmness of freshly cooked pancakes. The atmosphere was so pleasant that she was unaware of a large smile appearing on her face. She pushed a little off the wall, trying to see to the back of the steakhouse.

"Move it! I've got an order to deliver!"

Momo hastily flattened herself against the wall once more before searching for the speaker. A young boy who looked about four or five years her junior rushed by her with a plate balanced on each hand. He had bright red hair and apparently, a fiery temper to match. A girl with pitch black hair pulled up into pigtails trailed after him, carrying a pitcher. She paused and bowed apologetically to Momo.

"Sorry about that, onee-chan."

She rushed off before Momo could reply, but her absence was quickly replaced by another person. This time it was the frame of a large, broad shouldered man with his hair pulled back into several tight braids. Unintentionally, Momo shuffled a step away, intimidated by his bulging muscles. He peered at her through rectangular glasses.

"You must be the new kid the boss hired." Before Momo could deny that claim, he shoved a laden platter into her hands. She almost fell from the unexpected weight. "Right, can you take that to table twelve? After that, head over to table eight. I think they're just about ready to order."

"W-wait!" she managed to choke out, but by then he was long gone, busy attending to other customers. She looked down at the tray in despair. She didn't know how she would navigate her way through the maze of tables and chairs, much less find where she was suppose to deliver this order.

"Hey," she whispered out the corner of her mouth towards her phone mascots dangling out of her pocket. They did not respond. "Hey!" she repeated with more force.

"What's the matter?" Iba replied.

"Any of you know where table twelve is?" After those words left her mouth, she violently shook her head – she would have slapped herself if her hands weren't occupied. Of course they wouldn't know where table twelve was! "Scratch that, I need help!"

"What kind of help do you need?" asked Komamura.

"I don't know!" Momo wailed. "Finding the right table, not dropping anything, getting over there without making a complete fool of myself…doing all that before the food gets cold! And people are starting to stare!"

"What's wrong with people staring at you?" Yumichika piped up. "Truthfully, I find that to be a ridiculous fear. For one who has confidence, charisma and appeal abound, a little bit of staring is nothing. In fact, they thrive upon it, for they know that others stare with a glimmer of envy in their eyes."

"Why don't I swap places with you and then you could take this thing to where it needs to go!"

"Are you asking me for my help?"

"Yes!"

Her pocket bulged as Yumichika reverted to his true form. He poked his head out, looking more eager than she'd ever seen him. "Thought you'd never ask!"

Her body was suddenly awash in that familiar tingling sensation whenever she called upon one of her guardians. It started in her heart, and then spread out in every direction. Wherever the sensation went, a warmth followed just behind until her whole body was heated. She blinked, then suddenly she wondered why she was ever so nervous about walking across a room!

"This is nothing," she declared.

Straightening her back, she strode through the dining room with long, assured steps, glancing around at the numbers perched on each table. Table twelve was a two-seater near the far left window. Momo glanced at the items on her tray.

"Chocolate pancakes with maple syrup and vanilla ice-cream?" she inquired, switching her gaze from the two people occupying the table.

"Mine," said a boy, flicking his hand in the air.

"Here you go," Momo replied, setting down the plate in front of him. She turned to the girl sitting opposite him and smiled. "So these crepes must be yours. Enjoy!"

She tucked the tray under her arm, made her way to table eight and took their order. By the time she spiked the order on the counter and leaned back against the wall as she had previously done, Yumichika's influence over her had vanished, having completed its task. The little rat of the zodiac poked his head out of her pocket once more.

"That was fun," he mused, looking very pleased with himself.

"Thank you, Yumichika."

"Well, well, well, you must be Hinamori-san."

Momo whipped around, dropping a hand to hide her pocket as Yumichika changed back into his earthly form. A tall, skinny man was walking towards her. His mop of blond, slightly unkempt hair was hidden by a green and white striped hat. He was casually dressed in more traditional Japanese clothing, with a deep green haori over the top. He pushed his hat up with a thumb and flashed a grin.

"Yes, I'm Hinamori Momo. You must be…Urahara-san?" she ventured.

"Correct you are. Urahara Kisuke, owner of this fine establishment, at your service. Now, why don't you follow me so we can work out your roster for next week."

"M-My roster? But you haven't interviewed me yet." She was baffled beyond reason.

Urahara raised an eyebrow. "An interview? My, my, that does sound very tedious. Seeing if someone is right for the job is much more efficient. Did you want me to get a second opinion? Hey, Tessai, come over here for a second!"

The man who shoved the tray into Momo's arms from before walked over. He was still wiping a glass cup clean. "What is it, boss?"

"What did you think of our new waitress here? Did she pass the test?" Urahara asked, waving his fan in Momo's direction.

"Yes. Could do with a little polishing, but her performance was quite remarkable considering it was her first time. Customers looked pleased."

Urahara turned back to Momo. "And there you have it. So, are you free on weekends?"

* * *

Renji leaned against the kitchen counter, fingers tapping impatiently against the sleek surface. He shifted his backpack to a more comfortable position on his shoulder before calling out. "Hey, Hinamori! You almost done?"

"I'm coming!" Momo shouted back from her room.

She grabbed the last textbook from her table and shoved it into her bag. It was Thursday night and they were getting ready to leave for their first astronomy lesson in the observatory. Even though the door was shut and her room was the furthest from the entrance door, she could still hear Ichigo's voice from down the hall. He stayed in room three-oh-eight with Ishida Uryu, Sado Yasutora (or "Chad" as Ichigo liked to call him) and Yamada Hanataro. She couldn't decipher what it was that Ichigo was shouting, but Renji's voice soon joined in, leaving Momo to conclude that it was nothing of consequence.

"Alright, have I forgotten anything?" she asked, looking around the room.

"You're all good, kiddo," Kukaku replied.

Satisfied, Momo dashed from her room, eager to tell Renji she was ready so that he would hopefully shut up. "Hey, I'm r-_ooff!_"

She tumbled to the floor, having collided with someone trying to exit the hall at the exact same time. The coolness of their skin sent a small shiver up Momo's spine. She looked up and saw Toshiro straightening his shoulder bag. He looked down at her and seemed to be suppressing a mental sigh. Wordlessly, he offered his hand.

"Um, thank you," Momo sputtered as he helped her to her feet. He walked away the moment she was steady.

"About time!" Renji stressed. "What were you doing in there, Hinamori? Prettying up yourself?"

"More like making sure I have all my books so I won't look like an idiot, unlike a certain someone," she retorted in a low mutter.

Renji only grinned and shoved her out the door, where the four of them met up with the occupants of room three-oh-eight.

The observatory was situated on a small hill near the back of the school. Like every other building, no expenses were spared during its construction. The entire class waited in the foyer, which was mostly glass as to allow the occupants a fuller appreciation of the black expanse that stretched over them. Momo craned her neck to stare up through the transparent ceiling – it was reasonably cloudy tonight. The only trace of the moon was a faint shimmer behind a massive cloud.

The sound of a door unlocking and creaking open drew the attention of the entire class. Amagai-sensei stood at the entrance of the main viewing room; Aizen-sensei was just behind him. Everyone seemed eager to enter the room, casting appreciative looks at the giant telescope they could see protruding from the ceiling.

"Everybody inside please," Amagai-sensei called out. "But please be careful once you're inside. I haven't opened the skylight yet, so it will be quite dark inside."

There was a jam at the staircase leading up to the room; it was only just wide enough to accommodate two people walking side by side, so there was soon a pool of students waiting at the bottom. Slowly, they filed into the room. Momo was right near the end of the line. As she was waiting for the others to move forward, the room lightened up. Her shadow suddenly stretched further across the floor and she looked up, wondering where the source of the light was.

The large cloud that had previously been blocking the moon had parted, and now the silvery orb was clearly visible in a sea of dusky grey. Wispy remnants of the parted clouds swirled around it in a slow, mesmerising dance. The full moon shone brightly.

Just as quickly as the moon broke through the cloudy barrier, so did a familiar, instinctive feeling hit Momo in the chest. There was no mistaking it. She had felt this urgent pull before. A pull that was practically begging her to follow it, becoming harder and harder to resist with each passing second. The dragon was near.

Without thinking, Momo pushed her way through the crowd, ignoring the angry exclamations from the jostled students. She took advantage of the tiniest free space and weaved her way up the stairs. The more steps she climbed, the stronger the pull became. Hearing, seeing, smelling – her other senses were lost to her. She was only aware of this feeling.

There! It was only a few feet in front of her! She cleared the last couple of steps in one long stride, her arm reaching out to grab blindly at the thing she knew would contain her last guardian. Her fingers closed around a fistful of fabric, but her foot caught on the last step and she tumbled forward into the darkness of the main room. She let out a startled cry and landed on something soft. She heard a soft grunt of pain.

For a few moments, she laid still, disorientated by what had passed in the last few seconds. The feeling had left, leaving her light-headed. She leaned up, shook her head and pressed a cool palm against her brow.

"What…what just happened?" she mumbled.

"Hey," a curt voice interrupted, "mind getting off me, Hinamori?"

Momo froze, her insides shivering as if the voice had been an arctic wind. She recognised that voice and struggled to swallow down the panic that began to bubble in the pit of her stomach. As if it wasn't bad enough that she'd mindlessly shoved her way up, but the lucky person she happened to land on-

"Will you get off me already?" Toshiro snapped.


End file.
